Sick notes in Manitoba: the rules from October 1, 2026

Manitoba has changed the Employment Standards Code so that most short illnesses no longer need a doctor’s note. Bill 11 received Royal Assent on June 1, 2026 and comes into effect on October 1, 2026. The aim, in the province’s words, is to reduce pressure on the health care system while still letting employers verify longer absences.

When can my employer not ask for a sick note?

From October 1, 2026, an employer cannot ask for a sick note when:

• You are sick and miss a week or less of work, or
• You are sick and miss 10 days or less in the same calendar year, even if those days are spread out.

Each day of a short absence counts toward the 10 day yearly limit. So three separate two day illnesses use up six of your ten days, and none of them needs a note.

When can an employer still ask for one?

An employer can require a sick note once an absence runs longer than a week, or once you have been off sick for more than 10 days in the calendar year.

The new limits cover short term sick notes only. An employer can still ask for other medical documentation, for example to support:

• long term leaves such as maternity leave, organ donation leave, long term injury or illness leave, or compassionate care leave,
• a workplace accommodation,
• a safe return to work, or
• an insurance claim.

Who pays for the note?

If your employer requires a sick note, your employer must reimburse you for any reasonable amount the health professional charged for it.

To be reimbursed, give your employer proof of the cost within 30 days of getting the note. Your employer then has 30 days from receiving that proof to pay you back. Keep the receipt.

Reimbursement covers the sick note itself. It does not cover other medical documents, such as return to work paperwork or notes for long term leaves.

Who can write a sick note?

When a note is required, employers must accept one from any of these health professionals, as long as they provided care for the illness or injury that caused the absence:

• a physician, physician assistant or clinical assistant,
• a nurse, nurse practitioner, psychiatric nurse or practical nurse,
• a psychologist, or
• a midwife.

A note from a telehealth visit counts. The province is explicit that these professionals can provide a sick note when they cared for you by phone or video. You do not have to travel to a clinic while you are unwell to get one.

If you are unwell enough to need a note

The point of the change is that a cold or a stomach bug should not send you to a waiting room just to prove you were sick. But if you have been ill for more than a week, or you keep getting sick, that is worth a proper medical assessment in its own right, not just a piece of paper.

A Doctors To You physician can see you at home in Winnipeg or by phone or video anywhere in Manitoba. The visit is covered by Manitoba Health with a valid card. Paperwork an employer asks for is not always an insured service, so ask when you book whether a note is something your visit can include and whether a fee applies. If anything is not insured, we tell you before it is provided, never after. That commitment is in our terms of use.

For employers

Doctors Manitoba has worked with HR professionals on a tool kit and webinars to help employers move away from sick notes. For questions about your obligations, contact Manitoba Employment Standards at 204-945-3352 or toll free 1-800-821-4307, or read the province’s sick notes factsheet.

This page is general information about the Employment Standards Code, not legal advice. If your situation is unusual, or you belong to a union or work in a federally regulated industry, your rules may differ. Check with Employment Standards or your union.