Health Promotion, Return to Work, Disability, Sick Leave

Medical Leave Process

Steps to begin a medical leave:

1. Ensure you have spoken with your supervisor to inform them of your leave
2. Have your physician complete an Attending Physician's Statement (APS) form (with nature of illness, limitations and restrictions preventing you from working, as well as, the minimum expected return date/next assessment date) and submit it directly to our office via email (org_health@sfu.ca) or confidential fax (778.782.6873)
3. Once our team has received the medical, an Organizational Health Specialist will reach out to you to discuss next steps

Short Term Disability (POLY PARTY)

Steps to begin a Short Term Disability:

1. Inform your supervisor that you will be applying for Weekly Indeminity so they can submit the Employer’s Statement to PBC.
2. Obtain the following documents:
• Short Term Disability Claim Form - Employee
• Short Term Disability Attending Physician’s Statement
3. Complete the Employee’s Statement and submit it to PBC directly

Please see the Short Term Disability page for more detailed information.

Where can I go if I need more support?

• Organizational Health Office
  • Email: org_health@sfu.ca
  • Confidential Fax: 778.782.6873

• Your Union Association’s Office
• Your physician or therapist (if you are seeing one)
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (Homewood Health)
  • Phone: 1.800.663.1142
  • Website: https://homeweb.ca        
    • Accessing Homeweb & Pathfinder online
      • Step 1: Visit Homeweb and click "sign UP"
      • Step 2: Type in Simon Fraser University and click ‘Find it!’. Select from the list provided. Enter information into the required fields, choose an email and password, and click 'Next Step'.
      • Step 3: Confirm how you are covered by Homewood Health, (e.g. through your organization or the organization of a family member), and confirm your relationship to the organization (e.g. employee, spouse, dependent, etc.). Submit the additional information required and click ‘Sign Up’ at the bottom of the page.
      • Invitation Code to Access Pathfinder: SFU522
• BC Bereavement Helpline, Phone (Greater Vancouver): (604) 738-9950

Employment Standards Act of BC:  Bill 11 Update on MEDICAL NOTES:

On November 12, 2025 the BC government passed a regulation setting out the “specified circumstances” in which employers are prohibited from requesting a medical note under Bill 11 of the BC Employment Standards Amendment Act.  This new rule is expected to ensure that those who are sick can stay home to recover, while reducing the unnecessary administrative burden on physicians.

The Bill specifies that employers are not permitted to request (and employees cannot be required to provide) medical documentation to support a sick leave (or “health-related” leave) IF:

• The leave is less than 5 consecutive days AND
• The employee has not taken more than one other health-related (sick) leave for a period up to five consecutive days in the same calendar year (meaning  you cannot request a medical note for an employee’s first two health-related leaves up to five consecutive days in the same calendar year).

This is retro-actively effective to November 12, 2025 for the remainder of this calendar year and then will re-set January 1^st of each calendar year thereafter.  Supervisors should have awareness/knowledge of their own applicable employees’ circumstances (ie., previous sick or health-related leaves each year).