Absences that are protected at work in Quebec: illness, family, personal duties
An employee absent for a protected reason is not at fault, but the difference between an announced absence, a justified absence and one that breaks the employment link comes down to three steps.
An employee absent for a protected reason is not at fault, but the difference between an announced absence, a justified absence and one that breaks the employment link comes down to three steps.
Notice early, even imperfectly
A text message sent the same morning is worth far more than two days of silence followed by explanations. An imperfect notice can be corrected; an unannounced absence cannot.
Justify when asked
The employer may ask for a reasonable justification. A medical note is not always required, but when it is requested within a reasonable delay, the refusal becomes the problem, not the request.
Keep it written
Emails, texts, revised schedules, notes after a meeting: the file is made of what remains. A verbal warning deserves a note sent to yourself the same evening, with the date.
Back to work
A return after illness is rarely a single step: progressive hours, some tasks removed, temporary telework. A refusal by the employer is not automatically wrongful, but an unmotivated refusal of a written request much more often is.