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 H-E-B workers are told

Absences tracked

Points system (employee-described as automated, assigning points for calling out, tardiness and leaving early; H-E-B says it dates from October 2020): news reported the prior 8 call-outs/year allowance became 3 call-outs in 6 months before 'pending HR approval to be separated.'

Note required

Workers told the San Antonio Report they still received points after providing doctor's notes; H-E-B said each situation is evaluated individually. No official rule that a note removes a point.

Where to submit

H-E-B does not publish its call-out or leave process; ask your store leader.

Paid sick time

H-E-B does not publish its sick-pay terms; Texas has no state paid-sick-leave law.

From published reporting on the policy · 2026-09-23

Get a doctor’s note · $29.99A licensed physician reviews your case online, same day. Your HR can verify it at sickslip.co/verify.

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 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, H-E-B 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 · Costco · Kroger · Best Buy · Whole Foods Market · AutoZone

Every employer’s sick-note rule, in one list

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.

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