Employee rights

Sick leave, stress leave, and short-term disability all follow different rules, timelines, and paperwork in Canada. Here's how to tell which one actually applies to you.

Saskatchewan's doctor's note rules changed in 2026. Here's when employers can request a note, how it must be requested, and what employees should know.

EI sickness benefits now pay up to 26 weeks, but job protection and short-term disability run on separate clocks. Here is how long stress leave can actually last in Canada, and what documentation each stage needs.

Can you be fired for sick leave in Canada if you have a valid doctor's note? Here is what employment law actually protects, province by province.

Ontario's ESA doctor's note rules explain when employers can ask for a sick note, what they can't request, and how to get documentation fast.

Canadian privacy law limits how an employer can verify a sick note, from what a doctor's office will confirm to what happens if an employer oversteps.

Ontario's Employment Standards Act treats a mental health crisis the same as a broken leg: three unpaid, job-protected days a year. Here's what that covers, when your employer can ask for a note, and where real protection for a longer absence comes from.

Alberta's Employment Standards Code caps job-protected stress leave at five unpaid days a year. Here's what that covers, what comes next, and what documentation you actually need.

There's no legal category called stress leave in Ontario. Here's exactly which law applies, what your doctor's note needs to say, and how long the leave can last in 2026.

There's no legal category called stress leave in British Columbia. Here's exactly which law applies, what your doctor's note needs to say, and how long the leave can last in 2026.

Paid sick days in Canada range from zero to ten, depending entirely on your province and whether federal or provincial law applies. Here is the exact entitlement for every province in 2026.

Most sick note policies fail the moment an employee actually gets sick, because they were written to sound firm rather than to survive a look from an employment standards officer. An employer who demands a doctor's note for a single day off in Ontario is asking for something the Employment Standards Act specifically restricts. An employer with no written policy at all is exposed the first time a manager improvises a rule on the spot, inconsistently, in front of witnesses. The

Your EI sickness benefits medical certificate states an expected return-to-work date, and if your recovery runs past it without an update, Service Canada can pause your payments. Here is when you need a renewal, what it must say, and how to get one before the gap costs you weeks of income.

Most Canadians applying for EI sickness benefits run into the same problem. They fill out the Service Canada application, get their Record of Employment from their employer, and then stall on the medical documentation step because nobody told them exactly what is required, how specific it needs to be, or how quickly they need it. Some people submit without any documentation and get approved. Others submit without it and get delayed for weeks. A few get rejected and do not kno

Most Canadian employees do not know exactly how many sick days they are entitled to, what documentation their employer can ask for, or what happens if they run out of paid leave. These details vary by province, by employer, and by how long you have worked at a company. Here is a clear breakdown of sick leave rights across Canada, including what your employer can and cannot do when you call in sick. sick leave rights Canada : Federal sick leave under the Canada Labour Code Emp

Most Canadian employees have faced this at some point. You call in sick, and your employer asks for a doctor's note. The question is whether that request is legal — and what you are actually required to hand over. The answer depends on your province and how many days you have been off. Here is what the law says. What Canadian employment law says about sick notes There is no single federal law that governs sick note requirements for all employees. The rules come from provincia