How long can you be on sick leave in Canada? (2026)

Most Canadians know they are entitled to some form of sick leave, but very few know where the layers end. Your statutory sick days run out. Then what? Your employer's benefits plan kicks in. Then EI. Then long-term disability. At each transition, the rules change, the documentation requirements change, and the income replacement rate changes. This guide maps the full picture from a single sick day through to long-term medical leave, with the 2026 numbers for every province.

Layer 1: statutory sick days — the starting point for every absence

The first layer of sick leave in Canada is your statutory entitlement under provincial or federal employment standards. These are the days your employer must allow you to take as job-protected leave, regardless of what your employment contract says. They represent the legal floor — your employer cannot provide fewer than these days, though they can and often do provide more through their own policies.

As of 2026, the statutory sick day entitlements by province are as follows. British Columbia provides five paid sick days and three unpaid sick days per year after 90 days of employment. Ontario provides three unpaid sick days per year after two weeks of employment. Quebec provides two paid sick days per year after three months of service. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the three territories each provide varying entitlements of unpaid sick days, typically between three and five days depending on the province and tenure. Federally regulated employees under the Canada Labour Code — those in banking, telecommunications, airlines, rail, and interprovincial transport — are entitled to 10 days of paid sick leave per year, accrued at one day per month after 30 days of employment.

For a one to three day absence covered within your statutory entitlement, a basic sick note is the most your employer can request in most provinces — and in several provinces including Ontario and BC, they cannot require even that for statutory sick days. Our sick leave notes page covers same-day physician documentation for short absences. For a breakdown of exactly when your employer can request a medical note for work in your province, see our post on sick leave rights in Canada.

Layer 2: short-term disability — when statutory days run out

Once your statutory sick days are exhausted, most Canadians with group benefits through their employer can access short-term disability coverage. Short-term disability is not a legal entitlement — it is an insurance product provided voluntarily by employers through group benefits plans from insurers including Sun Life, Manulife, Canada Life, and Great-West Life. Not every employee has it. If yours does, it typically works as follows.

Short-term disability pays a percentage of your regular salary — usually 60 to 70 percent — for a maximum period that varies by plan. Most STD plans run for 15 to 17 weeks, beginning after a waiting period of five to seven business days from the first day of absence. The waiting period is where your statutory sick days and any accrued paid sick leave are typically used. Once the waiting period is served, STD benefits begin. A medical certificate confirming your incapacity and expected duration is required by virtually every insurer before benefits are approved. Basic sick notes are not sufficient for STD applications — insurers require a physician's statement that documents functional limitations, not just absence dates.

If your employer has sent you a specific physician's statement form to complete as part of your STD application, that is a standard insurer form rather than a free-form physician letter. Our standard medical forms service handles insurer-specific physician statement forms for Sun Life, Manulife, Canada Life, and other group plan providers. If you are unsure whether the document your insurer requires is a standard form or a medical certificate, our post on the difference between a sick note and a medical certificate explains what each covers and when each applies.

Layer 3: EI sickness benefits — federal income replacement for up to 26 weeks | How long sick leave Canada

Employment Insurance sickness benefits through Service Canada provide income replacement for Canadians who cannot work due to illness, injury, or quarantine and who do not have adequate employer STD coverage, or whose STD period has ended. As of 2026, EI sickness benefits pay 55 percent of average insurable weekly earnings up to a maximum of $729 per week, for a maximum of 26 weeks. The program extended from 15 to 26 weeks in September 2022, a change that is still not widely known — many Canadians, and even some HR departments, still reference the old 15-week figure.

To qualify, you need at least 600 insurable hours worked in the past 52 weeks or since your last EI claim, a Record of Employment from your employer, and a medical certificate confirming you are unable to work. There is a one-week waiting period at the start of every EI sickness claim during which no benefits are paid. Apply to Service Canada as soon as you stop working — not once you have your documentation ready. The waiting period runs from the date you apply, so delaying your application by a week to gather documentation costs you a week of benefits. For a detailed breakdown of what documentation Service Canada requires and when, see our post on doctor's notes for EI sickness benefits in Canada.

STD and EI can interact in ways that affect how much income you actually receive. Many employer STD plans are structured to offset EI sickness benefits, meaning the plan pays the difference between the EI rate and the STD benefit level rather than paying both in full. If your employer's plan pays 70 percent of your salary and EI pays 55 percent, you may receive the employer plan payment with EI treated as a component within it, rather than collecting both independently. Confirm the interaction with your HR department or group benefits provider before applying for both simultaneously.

Layer 4: long-term illness leave — job-protected leave now aligned to 27 weeks

Separate from EI sickness benefits and employer STD plans, most Canadian provinces now provide statutory long-term illness leave — unpaid, job-protected leave for employees with serious medical conditions. This is the layer that ensures you cannot be terminated simply because your illness extends beyond your employer's STD period or the EI sickness benefit window.

As of 2026, the long-term illness leave entitlements by province are as follows. Ontario provides up to 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected long-term illness leave per 52-week period, available to employees who have been employed for at least 13 consecutive weeks. British Columbia provides up to 27 weeks of unpaid serious illness or injury leave, following Royal Assent of Bill 30 in November 2025. Alberta extended its long-term illness and injury leave from 16 weeks to 27 weeks per calendar year, effective January 1, 2026, for employees with at least 90 days of continuous service. Saskatchewan similarly extended its serious illness leave to 27 weeks effective January 1, 2026. Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador provide job-protected medical leaves in the 12 to 27-week range depending on the province and the nature of the condition. Federally regulated employees under the Canada Labour Code are entitled to up to 27 weeks of unpaid medical leave in addition to their 10 days of paid medical leave per year.

The alignment of provincial long-term illness leave with the 26-week EI sickness benefit period is deliberate. The intent is that an employee can access EI sickness benefits during the period covered by provincial job-protected leave, ensuring their income is partially replaced and their job is protected for the same duration. A medical certificate is required to access long-term illness leave in every province — it must confirm that you have a serious medical condition, that you are unable to perform your work duties, and an expected duration or return-to-work timeline. Our medical certificates page covers same-day physician documentation for extended leave applications.

Layer 5: long-term disability and CPP disability — when illness extends beyond 27 weeks

If your medical condition extends beyond the 26 to 27-week window covered by EI sickness benefits and provincial long-term illness leave, the next layers are long-term disability insurance and, for conditions that are both severe and prolonged, CPP disability benefits.

Long-term disability through an employer's group benefits plan typically begins once STD coverage ends, usually after 17 weeks. LTD pays a percentage of your pre-disability earnings — typically 60 to 70 percent — and can continue for years or until age 65 depending on the plan. LTD applications require detailed physician documentation that goes significantly beyond a basic medical certificate. Insurers use a functional capacity framework to assess whether you meet the plan's definition of disability, which in the initial period is usually "unable to perform the essential duties of your own occupation" and later shifts to "unable to perform any occupation for which you are reasonably suited." The medical documentation for an LTD application needs to address functional limitations specifically — what you cannot do and why — rather than simply confirming a diagnosis.

CPP disability benefits through Service Canada provide up to $1,741.20 per month in 2026 for Canadians whose disability is both severe and prolonged, meaning it prevents them from regularly pursuing any substantially gainful occupation and is expected to be long-term or fatal. CPP disability requires a separate application and physician-completed forms, and approval rates vary significantly depending on the quality of the medical documentation submitted. EI sickness benefit approval does not guarantee CPP disability approval — they are assessed under different standards by different parts of the federal government.

What documentation you need at each stage

The documentation requirements change as your leave progresses. Here is a clear summary of what each stage requires and where to get it.

Short-term absence, 1 to 3 days: A basic sick note confirming you were medically unfit to work on the relevant dates. Visit our sick leave notes page for same-day physician documentation.

Extended absence, 4 days to several weeks: A medical certificate confirming your incapacity, the expected duration of leave, and any functional limitations or accommodations required upon return. Visit our medical certificates page.

Short-term disability application: Your insurer's specific physician statement form, completed by a licensed physician. Visit our standard medical forms page.

EI sickness benefits application: A Record of Employment from your employer and the Service Canada INS5140 Medical Certificate for Employment Insurance Purposes if requested. See our post on doctor's notes for EI sickness benefits for the full process.

Provincial long-term illness leave: A medical certificate from a licensed physician confirming a serious medical condition and expected duration. Visit our medical certificates page.

Returning to work after extended leave: A return-to-work certificate or fitness-to-work certificate confirming you are medically cleared to resume your duties. See our post on return-to-work certificates in Canada for what your employer can ask for.

Frequently asked questions

How long can you be on sick leave in Canada before losing your job?In most provinces, your job is protected for the duration of your statutory long-term illness leave, which is up to 27 weeks in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and federally regulated workplaces as of 2026. Beyond that period, job protection depends on your employer's policies, your collective agreement if applicable, and whether your condition constitutes a disability requiring accommodation under human rights legislation. An employer cannot terminate you solely because of a disability-related absence without first exploring accommodation options.

Do I need a doctors note for work after every absence?Not necessarily. Most provinces now restrict when employers can require physician documentation for short-term absences. Ontario prohibits sick note requests for the three ESA statutory sick days. BC prohibits them for the first two short absences of five days or fewer per year. Quebec prohibits documentation requests for the first three short-term absences of three days or fewer per rolling 12-month period. For absences beyond those thresholds, a medical note for work is typically required.

How long does EI sickness last in Canada?EI sickness benefits run for up to 26 weeks in 2026, paying 55 percent of insurable earnings up to $729 per week. This replaced the previous 15-week limit. There is a one-week unpaid waiting period at the start of every claim.

What happens when sick leave runs out in Canada?When statutory sick days are exhausted, the sequence typically moves to employer short-term disability coverage, then EI sickness benefits for up to 26 weeks, then long-term disability insurance if available, and for severe and prolonged conditions, CPP disability benefits. At each stage, physician-issued medical documentation is required to access the next layer of support.

How do I get a medical note for work for an extended absence?Canada Medical Notes provides same-day medical certificates from licensed Canadian physicians for extended sick leave, long-term illness leave applications, and insurer documentation requirements. Submit your request through our medical certificates page and receive your documentation within 2 to 4 hours.

Related reading

• Sick leave rights in Canada: what every employee should know

• Doctor's note for EI sickness benefits in Canada: what you actually need

• Stress leave in Canada: how to get a doctor's note for burnout or anxiety

• Sick note vs medical certificate in Canada: what is the difference?

• Return to work certificate Canada: what your employer can ask for