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AssistGreen4166

[WA] Employer Needs Doctor's Note Covering Sick Days BEFORE I Saw The Doctor

Policy & Procedures

Keeping this slightly vague for privacy reasons. I work a part-time office job. Last monday I started feeling sick so I called my manager, let them know I was sick, and took the day off which was fine with them (I have a LOT of sick hours saved up). On tuesday I was still sick so I called in again. On wednesday I went in to urgent care and they determined that I was sick, and they prescribed me medications. When I called in to work on Thursday, my manager told me to make sure I had a doctor's note with me next time I came in, no additional details, just to bring a note. I called in on friday as well, so in the end I took the whole week off due to illness.

Fast forward to today, I called my employer to let them know that I am good to come back in, and they said they would need a copy of my doctor's note before they will let me return to work. I sent them my papers from the urgent care visit, but they said they would need a note specifically clearing me for the entire range of time I took off (Monday through Friday). I called the urgent care and they said that they could not provide a note that covered days before I was seen, so they could only give a note covering Wednesday - Friday. When I relayed this to my manager, they said that HR needs a note covering the entire range of time I was gone, other wise I cant come back to work.

Hoping someone has advice on how best to resolve this, but also wondering where I stand legally here. If they continue to bar me from coming in to work, am I fired? Furloughed? None of the above? Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks!

Posted Sep 21, 2026, 6:22 PM UTC

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