Sick Notes for Healthcare Workers in Ontario: Special Considerations
Healthcare workers in Ontario face unique pressures around calling in sick. Here's what you need to know about your rights and documentation.
## Sick Notes for Healthcare Workers in Ontario
Healthcare workers — nurses, PSWs, technicians, and support staff — face unique challenges when it comes to calling in sick. The pressure to show up, combined with chronic staffing shortages across Ontario's healthcare system, can make it difficult to take needed time off.
### The Presenteeism Problem
Working while sick in healthcare settings is dangerous:
- **Patient safety risk** — Infectious illness can spread to vulnerable patients
- **Longer recovery** — Working through illness often extends recovery time
- **Workplace outbreaks** — One sick worker can trigger facility-wide outbreaks
- **Burnout acceleration** — Not resting when sick contributes to long-term burnout
### Your Rights as an Ontario Healthcare Worker
Whether you work for a hospital, long-term care home, or community health centre:
- You're entitled to **3 unpaid sick days** under the ESA (plus any paid days your employer provides)
- Your employer **cannot penalize you** for legitimate sick leave
- Union members (ONA, CUPE, OPSEU) typically have **additional sick leave provisions** in their collective agreements
- The Ontario Human Rights Code protects against discrimination for illness
### Getting Documentation Quickly
Healthcare workers often work 12-hour shifts when walk-in clinics are closed. MedLetter provides:
- **24/7 availability** — perfect for night shift workers
- **Same-day delivery** — notes in within 6 hours
- **No clinic visit** — avoid exposing other patients when you're sick
**Get a sick note — [Start here](/get-started/sick_note)**