Carer’s Leave Certificate

A carer’s certificate is a document issued by a doctor or a health practitioner that confirms you were caring for an unwell family or household member.

• Employment requirement – employers in Australia have the right to request a carer’s leave certificate as evidence for carer’s leave. It is not mandatory by law, but is commonly required.  
• Proof of care – The certificate validates your leave and is proof you need to provide at workplaces. 
• Paid leave – Employers are generally obligated to pay for carers’ leave when a valid certificate is provided.

For comprehensive information about employment law, follow the link to: www.fairwork.gov.au

A person can get a Carer’s Leave Certificate if they have to take leave in order to provide support or care to an immediate family member or household member. All employees except casual employees are entitled to paid sick and carer’s leave.

Casual employees may not always need a carer’s leave certificate for short absences. However, some employers might ask for one, especially for leave longer than a few days. Requesting a carer’s leave certificate via Hola’s online platform is a fast and simple process that connects you with an AHPRA-registered practitioner from home.

No, we do not backdate the certificate. Hola Health can only issue medical certificates for the day you consult with a doctor or a medical practitioner. This applies to both the carer’s leave and other situations.

Typically, yes. While online carer certificates are legal in Australia, some employers might have specific policies regarding sick leave and carer’s leave. These policies may outline their preferred documentation for absences. It’s always best to check your employer’s leave policy guidelines to ensure your online medical certificate is accepted

Yes, carer’s leave and sick leave are different to each other. 

• Sick leave, also known as personal leave or sick days, is intended to provide employees with paid time off when they are unable to work due to their own illness, injury, or medical emergency. 
• Carer’s leave, also referred to as carer’s responsibilities leave, is designed to allow employees to take time off work to provide care or support to a member of their immediate family or household who is ill, injured, or experiencing an emergency.

Yes, anyone with a valid reason for either sick leave or carers leave can request a medical certificate. A person requesting sick leave should be unable to work due to personal illness, injury or medical emergency, whereas a person requesting carers leave should be taking care of a family member who is suffering from the illness.

Obtaining an online medical certificate for a carer’s leave from a reputable service like Hola Health is safe and secure. We prioritise patient confidentiality and use robust security measures to protect your information. This includes encrypting data transmission and storage. Hola Health is an Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) registered provider and follows Australian Privacy Principles. All while being affordable.

Hola Health accepts major credit/debit cards, such as American Express, Visa and Mastercard.