Do You Actually Need a Doctor's Note?

Every cold season we see people who have dragged themselves out of bed, sat in a waiting room while unwell, and paid for a note their employer was not entitled to ask for. The law in Ontario changed in 2024. It is worth knowing what it actually says before you come in — and worth knowing the situations where a note is still genuinely required.

What changed in 2024

Ontario's Working for Workers Five Act received royal assent on 28 October 2024. Among other things, it stopped employers requiring a certificate from a doctor, nurse practitioner or psychologist for the three unpaid sick days that the Employment Standards Act guarantees most employees each year.

Employers may still ask for evidence that is "reasonable in the circumstances". In practice that usually means a signed declaration from you — a self-attestation that you were unwell and unable to work. It does not mean a doctor's note.

When you still need a note

The change is narrower than the headlines suggested. A medical note is still legitimately required in several common situations:

• Absences longer than the three ESA sick days. Once you are past that statutory entitlement, an employer can ask for medical documentation.
• Contractual sick leave above the legal minimum. Many workplaces offer paid sick days through a contract or collective agreement. Those have their own rules, and they can require a note.
• Ontario's long-term illness leave, which came into effect on 19 June 2025 and carries its own medical-certificate requirements.
• Return-to-work and fitness-to-work assessments, especially in safety-sensitive roles.
• Accommodation requests — modified duties, adjusted hours, time off for treatment.
• Schools, colleges and universities, which are not employers and are not covered by the ESA change at all.
• Insurance, disability and third-party forms that require a physician's completion.

What a doctor can and cannot write

A note confirms that you were assessed and gives an opinion on your capacity to work or study, and for how long. It does not have to disclose your diagnosis, and your employer is not entitled to it — your medical information stays between you and your doctor.

What a doctor cannot do is certify a period of illness they did not see. If you were unwell three weeks ago and have since recovered, there is no honest way to write a note confirming it. Come while you are unwell, or ask about a self-attestation instead.

Getting a note or a form completed in Etobicoke

You can walk in during open hours at 1625 Albion Road, Unit 104 — no appointment needed. Bring your OHIP card, and bring the form itself if your employer, school or insurer has given you one, because a physician completing their form is usually faster and more useful than a generic note.

Notes and the completion of third-party forms are not covered by OHIP. They are an uninsured service with a fee, which our front desk will tell you before anything is signed. That is standard across Ontario, and it is the case whoever you see.

If you are not sure, ask first

Before taking time out of your day, check what your employer actually requires in writing. If it is a self-declaration, you can handle it yourself for free. If it is a note or a completed form, we can do that in one visit — and if you are unwell enough to need the note, you probably want to be seen anyway.