Employer sick-note rules · restaurant
Does Starbucks accept an online doctor’s note?
Starbucks' public benefits pages set no doctor's-note rule for using sick time; any documentation request is a store-level decision. Medical leaves are applied for through Sedgwick, Starbucks' leave administrator, at mySedgwick or 866-206-6769.
What Starbucks workers are told
Absences tracked
Starbucks does not publish a store attendance policy; its public benefits pages cover sick-time accrual and leaves only.
Note required
Official benefits pages do not require a doctor's note to use sick time. A medical leave of absence is requested through Sedgwick, Starbucks' leave administrator, and follows its certification rules.
Where to submit
Sick time balances: Partner Central. Leaves of absence: log in or create an account at mySedgwick or call (866) 206-6769 (Sedgwick). HR questions: Partner Contact Center, (888) SBUX-411.
Leave administrator
Sedgwick (mySedgwick, 866-206-6769)
Paid sick time
Partner & Family Sick Time: 1 hour per 25 hours worked, usable as accrued, carryover up to 520 hours.
From published reporting on the policy · 2026-09-23
What a SickSlip note shows Starbucks 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 Starbucks 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 Starbucks 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
The rules that sit above Starbucks’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, Starbucks 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 restaurant employers
Chipotle · Taco Bell · Wendy's · Panera Bread
All employers
Amazon · Walmart · Target · UPS · FedEx · Lowe's · Costco · Kroger · 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 Starbucks. Employer names are used to describe their published policies. Reviewed by Adam Z. Kawalek, MD (NPI 1326223306). Facts checked 2026-09-23.