2. Learn about sick leave

You may be able to take sick leave if you've worked for your employer for at least 2 weeks in a row, and you:

• are sick or injured, or
• have a medical emergency.

A medical emergency includes surgery that's set up ahead of time. But you must need it for medical reasons.

Your employer does not have to pay you for sick leave, unless you have a contract or workplace policy that says they do. Read more in the Answer under the heading Getting paid.

How long you can take

You can use up to 3 days of sick leave each calendar year. A calendar year goes from January 1 to December 31.

You get all 3 days even if you only start working for your employer partway through the year.

If you only take part of a day off, your employer can count it as one of your 3 sick days for the year. But your employer must pay your wages for the hours you worked.

Tell your employer

Tell your employer as soon as you know you need to take a leave.

If you must start your leave before talking to your employer, contact them as soon as you can.

It's a good idea to tell your employer in writing. You can send an email, text message, or letter.

If you speak to your employer in person or by phone, send them a written note right after. Include what you told them and when. That way, you have proof that you told your employer. This will help if your employer tries to punish you for taking time off work.

Proving you need a leave

Your employer can ask for “reasonable” proof that you need to take a sick leave. What's reasonable depends on things like:

• how long you need the leave to be
• any past leaves you had or other periods where you were off work
• whether you can get proof of why you need the leave
• how much it would cost to get proof

The law says your employer cannot require you to get a medical note from a doctor, nurse, or psychologist.

Your employer can only require other proof for your sick leave. For example, they can ask for a hospital bracelet or a receipt from a drug store.

They can also ask for notes from other types of health-care workers, such as a physiotherapist, social worker, or midwife.

Your employer does not have the right to know about your medical condition or treatment.