Me: I’m not feeling well. Going to take a sick day.
Boss: Ok, feel better.
HR: You need a doctor’s note for the sick time to be approved.
Me: I just feel “blech” and need to rest.
HR: Doesn’t matter. We need a doctor’s note.
Me: [Slugs to urgent care, waits 3 hours to see a doctor]
Doctor: Just go home and rest.
Receptionist: That’ll be $35 for the co-pay.
Me: (twitch)
This is employer dependent in the US, too. I can Slack my boss and say “I’m feeling under the weather, going to unplug and rest today,” and she’ll say “Okay, no problem, feel better!”, and that’s the end of the conversation. Definitely the exception to the rule, though; I think OP’s situation is much more common.