Organization : Fair Work Ombudsman
Type of Facility : Notice & Medical Certificates
Country: Australia
Notice & Medical Certificates:
An employee has to let their employer know that they are going to take sick or carer’s leave. This has to be done as soon as possible, and can be after the leave has started.
Related : Fair Work Ombudsman Employee Pay Slip Template Australia : www.statusin.org/7541.html
They should also specify how long they will be off or expect to be off work.
When evidence has to be given:
Employers can ask an employee to give evidence to confirm why they have been away from work at any time. This includes even if an employee has only been off sick for 1 day.
An employee who doesn’t give their employer evidence when asked may not be entitled to be paid for their sick or carer’s leave.
A workplace policy or registered agreement can specify when an employee has to give evidence to their employer and what type of evidence they have to give.
Example: Workplace policies on sick leave
Anna is a full-time employee at a retail store. When she started, her employer gave her a handbook that said if an employee is sick on a Monday, they need to provide evidence that they were sick. Anna was sick with a cold over the weekend and had to take the Monday off. Anna gave her employer a medical certificate when she came back to work on Tuesday in line with the workplace policy. She was paid for her day off.
Attending medical appointments and elective surgery:
Medical appointments and elective surgeries that are pre-arranged can only be covered by sick leave if an employee is not able to work because of a personal illness or injury. It will depend on each individual circumstance.
An employer can ask for evidence from an employee to confirm that they were unfit for work. This can help decide if an employee should be paid sick leave or be paid a different type of leave or entitlement.
Types of evidence needed for sick / carer’s leave:
Medical certificates or statutory declarations are examples of acceptable forms of evidence. While there are no strict rules on what type of evidence needs to be given, the evidence has to convince a reasonable person that the employee was genuinely entitled to the sick or carer’s leave.
Employers attending medical appointments:
We don’t consider it reasonable for an employer to go to a medical appointment with an employee unless an employee requests this.
We also don’t consider it reasonable for an employer to contact the employee’s doctor for further information.
Think a mistake might have been made?:
Mistakes can happen. The best way to fix them usually starts with talking.
Check out our Help resolving workplace issues section for practical advice on:
** figuring out if a mistake has been made
** talking to your employer or employee about fixing it
** getting help from us if you can’t resolve it.