Employer sick-note rules · retail

Does H-E-B accept an online doctor’s note?

Workers described a new H-E-B points system to reporters in 2022 and 2023. H-E-B says the policy is not new and has been in place since October 2020. Workers told reporters they were still pointed after handing in doctor's notes, and H-E-B said each case is evaluated individually. There is no published rule that a note removes a point.

What a SickSlip note shows H-E-B HR

The physician’s name and NPI number, the dates you are excused, a document ID, and a verification link HR can open without calling anyone. It does not include your diagnosis. Whether H-E-B accepts it depends on the rule above, not on where the physician saw you: no US state law limits a sick note to in-person visits, and the federal telehealth rules are on telehealth.hhs.gov.

Your state may limit what H-E-B can demand

Twenty states and the District of Columbia have a paid-sick-leave law, and most of them only let an employer ask for a note after three consecutive days. Company policy cannot override that. Check yours in the state-by-state doctor’s note law index.

Sources, read 2026-09-23

H-E-B has not published its hourly attendance policy on a public page we could find. What is above comes from the sources below. If you work at H-E-B and your handbook says otherwise, tell us at support@sickslip.co and we will correct this page.

• Some H-E-B employees say policy change penalizes workers (San Antonio Report, Jun 6 2022) (news, read 2026-09-23) “Workers described incidences like providing doctor's notes after a short-notice absence or complications from a chronic illness, but still receiving points under the system.”
• H-E-B worker starts petition over grocer's sick policy after testing positive for COVID (Dallas Morning News, Jan 2023) (news, read 2026-09-23) “H-E-B worker starts petition over grocer's sick policy”

The rules that sit above H-E-B’s policy

• Federal leave (FMLA). An employer may require medical certification for a serious health condition, and must give you at least 15 calendar days to return it. 29 CFR 825.305 and U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet 28G.
• Disability (ADA). Points systems applied to disability-related absences have been challenged; medical inquiries must be job-related and consistent with business necessity. EEOC enforcement guidance.
• State paid-sick-leave law. Twenty states and D.C. limit when any employer, H-E-B included, may demand a note. Every state’s rule, with the statute.
• Telehealth. Federal guidance treats secure messaging with a licensed provider as telehealth; no state law limits a sick note to in-person visits. telehealth.hhs.gov.

Other retail employers

Walmart · Target · Lowe's · Costco · Kroger · Best Buy · Whole Foods Market · AutoZone

All employers

Amazon · Walmart · Target · UPS · FedEx · Starbucks · Lowe's · Costco · Kroger · Chipotle · USPS · Tesla · Disney parks · Southwest Airlines · United Airlines · Best Buy · Whole Foods Market · Taco Bell · Wendy's · Panera Bread · HCA Healthcare · Kaiser Permanente · Verizon · Tyson Foods · JBS USA · General Motors · Stellantis · Boeing · Uber · DoorDash · AutoZone

SickSlip is not affiliated with H-E-B. Employer names are used to describe their published policies. Reviewed by Adam Z. Kawalek, MD (NPI 1326223306). Facts checked 2026-09-23.