Doctor's Note for Costco Employees: How Absences, Sick Time, and Leave Actually Work

Adam Z. Kawalek, MD

Published July 1, 2026 · 7 min read

If you work at Costco and you're sick, the question on your mind is usually simple: <em>will calling out get me in trouble, and does a doctor's note fix it?</em> I'm a board-certified internist, and I've written a lot of these notes — so let me be straight with you, because there's a lot of bad information online. Costco does not use a "points" system, and a doctor's note by itself does not magically erase an attendance mark. What actually protects you is using your paid sick time, and for anything bigger, leave protections like FMLA and the ADA. Here's how the policy really works, based on Costco's own national labor agreement.

Costco counts "occasions," not points

First, let's clear up the biggest myth. A lot of pages describe Costco like it runs a points system where a doctor's note buys back a point. That's not how Costco's policy reads. Costco tracks "instances" or "occasions" of absence. Per Costco's national agreement, an occasion is any length of absence of more than fifty percent (50%) of your scheduled shift. If you work more than half your shift and then go home sick (for a non-work-injury reason), that counts as only half an occasion.

The threshold that matters: excessive absenteeism is defined as four (4) unpaid occasions in any rolling twelve-month period, which makes you subject to progressive discipline and possible discharge if there's no improvement. Attendance consultations stay "active" as long as all the noted instances fall within twelve months of the first one. The key word in that definition is unpaid — and that's exactly where your sick time comes in.

What actually keeps an absence from counting against you

Here's the part people get wrong. The thing that keeps a sick day from becoming an "instance of absence" is usually paid sick/personal time, not a doctor's note. Costco's agreement is explicit: absences are charged as instances when you "do not have sufficient paid sick/personal time available to cover their shift." Cover the shift with sick time and it isn't counted the same way. That's your first line of defense — use your accrued sick/personal hours.

Separately, certain absences are never counted as occasions at all: Workers' Compensation injuries and treatment, F.M.L.A., A.D.A. injuries and treatment (documented by a physician's note for each occasion), State Disability used to extend FMLA/ADA, state-law leaves, and other approved leaves. Costco's own language says it "will not retaliate against or discipline employees for appropriate use of paid leaves and/or sick/personal time." So a doctor's note does matter — but its real power is in supporting a protected leave (FMLA/ADA) or satisfying a request for medical substantiation, not in deleting a routine attendance occasion.

When does Costco actually ask for a doctor's note?

For a single sick day covered by your paid sick time, Costco generally doesn't require documentation. Where a note comes in is excessive absenteeism: the agreement states a "doctor's certificate of illness may be required from any employee who is absent from work because of illness, in the case of excessive absenteeism." In other words, if you've been out a lot, your manager can ask you to substantiate it.

A note is also central to the protected categories. For ADA-related absences to be excluded as occasions, the policy specifically wants "a physician's note for each occasion." For a formal leave or a return to work, Costco can require a written release from your physician confirming you can perform the essential functions of your job, with or without accommodation. So if your situation is more than a one-off cold, a clear, dated note from a real clinician is genuinely useful — that's a legitimate reason to get one from a licensed physician.

How to report a Costco absence correctly

Process matters as much as paperwork. Under Costco's agreement, if you're sick and can't work, you must notify your manager or designee one (1) hour before the start of your shift. For the first shift of the day, you should notify at the start of the shift by phone or a verified recording line, or as soon as reasonably possible. If you get sick mid-shift, tell your supervisor or manager before you leave.

A practical tip from the clinic side: when you can plan ahead — say, a scheduled procedure or a doctor's appointment — request your paid sick/personal time in advance so it's clearly authorized and doesn't disrupt the floor. And remember that an unscheduled absence can still be counted as an instance even if you use vacation time to get paid, so lean on sick/personal time for illness specifically.

When you need more than a day: formal leave

If you're going to be out beyond a few isolated days, you're likely into leave-of-absence territory, and that's a different track. Costco honors leaves only when requested in writing, and they're normally granted for medical purposes. You're expected to cooperate by responding to reasonable requests to clarify your medical documentation. The maximum leave is one year, with benefit-continuation tiers based on your length of service.

One important correction, because misinformation spreads between employers: Costco administers its own leave process internally through its HR/benefits team — it does not route you to Sedgwick the way some other large retailers do. Don't assume a third-party absence vendor applies here. For FMLA, ADA accommodations, or a medical leave, work with your warehouse management and Costco's benefits/HR resources directly, and bring solid documentation from your physician.

Where a same-day note from SickSlip fits

If you genuinely saw symptoms today and need documentation — for excessive-absence substantiation, an ADA-related occasion, or simply a clinician's record of your illness — SickSlip connects you with a board-certified physician for a flat $29.99. The intake is a roughly 2-minute form, and when clinically appropriate you can get a legitimate, same-day note.

I'll be honest about the limits, because I write these notes myself: a doctor's note is not a loophole. It won't override Costco's policy, it won't retroactively excuse a no-call/no-show, and no ethical physician will document an illness you didn't have. What a real note does is give you accurate medical paperwork to support a legitimate absence or leave — which is exactly when it's worth having. If you're not actually sick, the right move is to use your earned paid time off, not a note.

Frequently asked questions

Adam Z. Kawalek, MD

Board-Certified Physician · Founder, SickSlip · Cedars-Sinai · Johns Hopkins

Dr. Kawalek is a hospitalist physician with 15+ years of clinical experience. He founded SickSlip to give patients fast, affordable access to legitimate medical documentation without unnecessary clinical barriers.