EDMONTON—While the country scrambles to contain the coronavirus, Tim Hortons is facing more criticism after a note warning employees at an Edmonton location against calling in sick was posted online.

“For team members who call in sick, I have you scheduled for a reason. Therefore, I expect you to show up,” read the note, which was posted to Reddit on Monday.

It went on to say that absences will be “unexcused” and that employees must “show for your scheduled shifts.”

The note, which the poster said was located at a Tim Hortons at the City Centre mall in Edmonton’s downtown, flies in the face of an official policy the company released after widespread criticism of its alleged sick-leave policies earlier this month.

The poster said they saw the note on Monday at the street level Tim Hortons location in the mall. There’s a separate Tim Hortons on the second floor as well.

Meanwhile, public health officials in Alberta have been working to stem the tide of the novel coronavirus through strict social distancing and self-isolation policies, at times pleading with people to stay home if they’re sick.

Franchise owner Joel Foster was contacted by the Star via text message Tuesday, but he didn’t respond to questions about the note posted at the store, instead directing queries to the company’s media relations team.

“This sign was unfortunately an isolated issue at one restaurant,” said an emailed statement from a Tim Hortons spokesperson.

“We have been in contact with the restaurant owner and they have removed the sign and have reiterated to their employees the policy, which is clear — team members should always stay home if they are sick.”

After it was posted to Reddit, the photo of the note received hundreds of comments. The photo has since been deleted from the post.

On March 14, Tim Hortons had posted a statement to Twitter after public backlash regarding a report from Press Progress, a non-profit news organization founded by the Broadbent Institute, that said the company required employees to provide a doctor’s note in order to receive unpaid sick leave.

“There is a lot of misinformation circulating and we want to make this very clear to all Tim Hortons team members and guests,” the tweet read.

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“Our policy is clear. Team members should always stay home if they are sick — and do not require a doctor’s note.”

Tim Hortons, along with Burger King and Popeyes, is owned by Restaurant Brands International, a multinational holding company.

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