Employer sick-note rules · retail
Does Kroger accept an online doctor’s note?
It depends on your store and your UFCW contract. Kroger has no single company rule, and the viral claim that Kroger stopped accepting doctor's notes was denied by the company. Under the UFCW Local 1996 contract an FMLA leave may require advance notice and medical certification; the contract sets no doctor's-note rule for ordinary sick days.
What Kroger workers are told
Absences tracked
No single company rule; Kroger has roughly 350 collective bargaining agreements (mostly UFCW) plus store-level attendance rules. Contracts commit the union to uphold employer attendance rules; discipline is contract-governed.
Note required
Varies by store/contract; a widely shared May 2026 image claiming doctor's notes no longer excuse call-outs was called fake by Kroger. Under the Local 1996 contract, FMLA leave 'may be required to provide advance leave notice and medical certification'; three consecutive scheduled days absent without notifying the Store Leader is treated as a voluntary quit. No general doctor's-note rule appears in the contract.
Where to submit
Call store management at least 2 hours before shift, record who you spoke to (UFCW 400 guidance); Leave of absence requests go through store management and HR; the Local 1996 contract requires written permission from the Employer with a copy to the union for personal leaves.
Paid sick time
Sick leave per union contract and state law; Kroger says sick leave is 'included in our union contracts.'
From published reporting on the policy · 2026-09-23
Sources, read 2026-09-23
- Ohio Kroger worker says they're no longer allowed to call out sick with doctor's notes (The Mary Sue, May 12 2026) (news, read 2026-09-23) “This is a fake image circulating online that wrongly characterizes our sick leave policy.”
- How to Call Off From Work at Kroger , UFCW Local 400 (official, read 2026-09-23) “the associate will call store management or the person in charge in absence of store management at least two (2) hours prior”
- Kroger–UFCW Local 1996 Contract (2025) (official, read 2026-09-23) “may be required to provide advance leave notice and medical certification prior to the leave of absence”
- The Kroger Family of Companies Paid Time Off Policies (official, read 2026-09-23) “each of the more than 350 collectively-bargained contracts does include PTO days that associates accrue and may utilize for sick leave, wellness or any other personal reason.”
- Kroger Co. Form 10-K, fiscal year ended Feb 1, 2025 (official, read 2026-09-23) “We are a party to approximately 350 collective bargaining agreements.”
The rules that sit above Kroger’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, Kroger 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 · Best Buy · H-E-B · Whole Foods Market · AutoZone
Every employer’s sick-note rule, in one list
SickSlip is not affiliated with Kroger. Employer names are used to describe their published policies. Reviewed by Adam Z. Kawalek, MD (NPI 1326223306). Facts checked 2026-09-23.