Check whether you need the note at all. For the three unpaid sick days Ontario's Employment Standards Act gives most employees, an employer is not allowed to demand a certificate from a physician, registered nurse or psychologist. For paperwork that does need a signature, say which form it is when you call. Ask what it costs, and whether it is one the clinic completes.
What the visit covers
- A note about the illness you are being seen for today
- School, camp, daycare and university forms
- Return-to-work and fitness-to-work letters
- Insurance, disability and benefit packages, ODSP among them
- The medical certificate EI sickness benefits asks for
- Paperwork that follows an injury at work
- Which of these are done here, and what each one costs — ask the desk before you book
Who pays for which form
Sick days under the ESA — nothing to pay, because nothing has to be signed. What an employer can still ask for is evidence that is 'reasonable in the circumstances', and ontario.ca's guide to the Act says what counts turns on how long you were off, whether there is a pattern of absences, whether any evidence is available, and what that evidence costs.
An injury at work — the WSIB pays the physician. Its own FAQ for physicians says they are paid automatically for forms, reports and the telephone calls the WSIB starts, and that Health Professional's Reports (Form 8) are paid promptly unless a page is missing or the details in Section A or Section E are incomplete or illegible. Ask the desk whether the clinic bills the WSIB before you book.
An ODSP package — there is an OHIP route for it. ontario.ca tells health professionals that a physician can bill OHIP directly for the Disability Determination Package and the Medical Review Package, while other professionals invoice the ministry. One professional can complete both the Health Status Report and the Activities of Daily Living sections, or two can split them. Ask the desk whether anything is payable before you book.
School, camp, a gym, a landlord, an insurer — uninsured, so expect a fee, and ask what it is on the phone rather than at the counter afterwards. A report written for an insurer, an employer or a lawyer carries its own rules: your express consent first, only what was actually asked for, only what falls inside that doctor's scope of practice, and no later than 45 days after the request. Leave more room than the deadline on the form suggests.
What OHIP covers
Most notes and forms sit outside OHIP, so a fee is allowed for them — though not for every form, so ask which kind yours is. The College of Physicians and Surgeons puts four limits on that fee. You have to be told the amount before the work is done. If it is more than the Ontario Medical Association's guide, you have to be told that as well, and by how much. Nothing OHIP already covers can be charged for. And where a clinic offers a yearly block fee, paying item by item has to stay an option.
Walk in, or book?
For a note about today's illness, be seen for the problem — what goes on the note is what the doctor found. A long form is a different job. An insurance, disability or ODSP package is not something to spring on a walk-in visit, so call, say which form it is, and ask whether it needs an appointment of its own.
What to bring
- The form itself — every page, including the instructions written for the doctor
- The deadline, and who it goes back to
- Your health card
- Dates: when you went off, when you were last seen for it, when you are due back
- Payment for anything you were quoted a fee for
Questions people ask
I was off sick longer than three days. Can a note be required then?
For some leaves, yes. Ontario's long-term illness leave, in force since 19 June 2025, gives up to 27 weeks off in a 52-week period once you have 13 consecutive weeks with the employer, and the employer can ask for a certificate from a qualified health practitioner. It has to name you, state that you have a serious medical condition and set out the period you will not be working — it does not have to name the condition. If your workplace is federally regulated, the Canada Labour Code applies instead: a certificate can be required only after five consecutive days of leave, and only if the employer asks within 15 days of your return.
Can I get a note for an absence that is already over?
Do not count on it. Anything a doctor signs for someone else has to be substantiated: the College requires statements to rest on fact, evidence and sound clinical judgment, and requires the doctor to be able to set out what they are based on. If nobody assessed you while you were unwell, there may be nothing to put down but your own account of it. If you are still unwell, come in now — what can be certified is what the doctor can assess today.
My ODSP package is due before the doctor can finish it. Who asks for more time?
You do. The package is yours to return: ontario.ca gives you 90 calendar days to get the completed one to the Disability Adjudication Unit, and says you can contact that unit to ask for an extension if you need longer. So book early, hand over the whole package including the pages addressed to the health professional, and tell the desk the date it has to be back.
What does EI sickness benefits need from a doctor?
A medical certificate. Canada.ca wants one from the professional treating you — a doctor, nurse practitioner, psychologist, dentist, midwife and others can all sign it — giving the date your incapacity began and how long it is expected to last, if that is known. It has to be readable, carry your name and their letterhead or official stamp, and be signed by hand, electronically or with a stamp. You may be asked to send it in with your application; if not, keep it for six years in case Service Canada asks for it later.
Still have a question? Call the front desk.
Related
- Walk-in clinic in MississaugaColds, infections, rashes, minor injuries
- Physicals and what Ontario screens forAnnual check-ups and screening by age
- Referrals and lab requisitionsSpecialist referrals and blood work
