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
What a SickSlip note shows Kroger 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 Kroger 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 Kroger 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
- 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 (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, Kroger 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 · Best Buy · H-E-B · Whole Foods Market · AutoZone
All employers
Amazon · Walmart · Target · UPS · FedEx · Starbucks · Lowe's · Costco · Chipotle · USPS · Tesla · Disney parks · Southwest Airlines · United Airlines · Best Buy · H-E-B · 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 Kroger. Employer names are used to describe their published policies. Reviewed by Adam Z. Kawalek, MD (NPI 1326223306). Facts checked 2026-09-23.