When Can an Employer Ask for a Medical Certificate?

Overview

In Australia, an employer can ask for a medical certificate, but only when it’s reasonable. Most of the time, it’s not about doubting you. It’s about running the workplace fairly and applying the same rules to everyone.

Here are the common situations where a request is normal.

When Employers Can Request a Medical Certificate

Taking time off due to illness or caring duties

• If you’re sick, or you’re caring for an immediate family or household member, your employer can ask for evidence.
• This usually applies to personal/carer’s leave (what most people call sick leave).

Key note: Some workplaces treat even a short shift absence as a “full day” for leave purposes. That depends on your policy or roster rules.

Extended or multiple days off

• If you’re away for a few days in a row, it’s very common to be asked for a certificate.
• It helps confirm you weren’t fit for work across that period.

Frequent or repeated sick leave

• If sick days become regular, an employer may ask for documentation.
• They’re usually looking for consistency and fairness, not private details.

Why this happens: Patterns can affect planning and resourcing, especially in smaller teams.

Absences that affect operations

• If your absence impacts shifts, rosters, patient care, or service delivery, you may be asked for proof.
• This is common in healthcare, retail, hospitality, and other shift-based roles.

What the Fair Work Act Allows in Australia

• Employers can ask for evidence that would “satisfy a reasonable person” that you were entitled to take paid personal/carer’s leave.
• A medical certificate is one type of accepted evidence.
• Telehealth medical certificates are generally acceptable when issued by an Australian-registered doctor.

What Employers Cannot Ask For

Employers can’t demand:

• Your diagnosis or what condition you have
• Your full medical history, scans, blood tests, or specialist letters
• Extra information beyond confirming you weren’t fit for work (or needed to provide care)

A certificate usually only needs to cover the dates and confirm that you were unfit for work (or caring for someone).

Employee Rights and Privacy

• Your medical information is private.
• A medical certificate should be treated as confidential.
• Employers should store it securely and only share it where necessary.
• In most cases, all they need to know is whether you could work or not — nothing more.

Important Things to Keep in Mind

• The request should be reasonable and proportionate to the situation.
• Rules can differ depending on your award, enterprise agreement, contract, and workplace policy.
• Medical certificates often can’t be backdated unless the doctor is comfortable doing so based on clinical judgement and records.
• Some workplaces can ask for evidence for any sick leave, even a single day, if the policy allows and it’s applied fairly.

Conclusion

If you’re unsure, check your workplace policy first. If it still isn’t clear, it’s completely okay to ask HR to explain what evidence they need and when.