Employer sick-note rules
Does Costco accept an online doctor’s note?
Costco tracks occasions, not points. Its agreement says a doctor's certificate may be required only in the case of excessive absenteeism, which is four unpaid occasions in a rolling year. FMLA and ADA absences must be documented by a physician's note for each occasion.
What Costco workers are told
Note needed?
A doctor's certificate 'may be required' only 'in the case of excessive absenteeism.' A note alone does not erase an occasion; using paid sick/personal time or an approved leave does.
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FMLA/ADA occasions must be 'documented by a physician's note for each occasion' to be excluded.
How absences count
Occasions of absence, not points: an 'occasion' is missing more than 50% of a scheduled shift (half an occasion if you leave sick after working more than half).
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Excessive absenteeism = 4 unpaid occasions in any rolling 12 months, then progressive discipline. Paid sick/personal time, approved leaves, and physician-documented FMLA/ADA/WC absences do not count.
Where to send it
Notify your manager or designee 1 hour before shift (phone); leaves through Costco's leave process (vendor not confirmed in the agreement).
Sick pay
Paid sick/personal time: 24 hours after 90 days, +64 hours after one year, then 88 hours each anniversary (Teamsters agreement; part-time prorated, minimum 24 hours).
Verified against the company’s own published policy · 2026-09-23
Sources
The rules that sit above Costco’s policy
Federal leave law lets an employer ask for medical certification and gives you at least 15 days to return it; disability law limits medical inquiries to what the job requires; twenty states and D.C. limit when any employer, Costco included, may demand a note; and federal guidance treats a licensed physician’s online evaluation as telehealth. The statutes and sources are on the state-by-state doctor’s note law index and in are online doctor’s notes legal?
Other retail employers
Walmart · Target · Lowe's · Kroger · Best Buy · H-E-B · Whole Foods Market · AutoZone · Sam's Club · PetSmart · TJX
Every employer’s sick-note rule, in one list
SickSlip is not affiliated with Costco. Employer names are used to describe their published policies. Reviewed by Adam Z. Kawalek, MD (NPI 1326223306). Facts checked 2026-09-23.