Medical certificates for work
Medical certificates for work through an online GP
If illness, injury or other symptoms are affecting your ability to work, you can talk to a HerDoc GP online about your health and a medical-certificate request. The GP will decide whether the information supports a certificate and the period it should cover.
Can I get a medical certificate online for work?
Yes. A HerDoc GP can assess a work medical-certificate request during a telehealth appointment and may issue a certificate after talking with you. Your employer may have its own notice and evidence requirements, so check what you need and raise the request as early as you can.
Work absences that can start with a GP conversation
You can book an online GP appointment when an illness, injury or symptom is affecting your ability to do your job. You might be unable to work at all, or you might be unsure whether you can manage your usual hours or duties.
The conversation should stay centred on your health. You do not need to decide the medical conclusion before the appointment; talk about what you are experiencing and how it changes what you can do at work.
Symptoms, dates and work impact
The GP may ask:
The dates you request do not set the certificate period. The GP must decide what they can support from the health information available.
- when the symptoms or injury began
- which workdays or shifts are affected
- what parts of your role are difficult or unsafe for you right now
- whether the problem is improving, worsening or unchanged
- what care, medicines or self-care you have already tried
- whether there are records or recent assessments that add useful context
Check what evidence your workplace wants
Under the National Employment Standards, an employer can ask for evidence for as little as one day or less of sick or carer's leave. Awards, registered agreements and workplace policies can add detail about when evidence is required and what kind of evidence to provide.
Ask your employer or check your workplace policy if you are unsure. HerDoc cannot give individual employment-law advice or decide whether your workplace must accept a particular document.
What an ordinary sickness certificate communicates
An ordinary medical certificate is evidence connected to a health-related absence. It is not the same as a detailed medical report, a workers-compensation form or a fitness assessment.
A detailed diagnosis is not usually needed on an ordinary sickness certificate. If an employer or another organisation asks for more health information, the GP should discuss this with you and only disclose it with your consent or another lawful basis. Read the HerDoc privacy policy and raise any concern before the certificate is issued.
If your employer asks for something different
Bring or have handy any written instructions or form your employer has given you. This helps the GP understand the request, but it does not require the GP to use requested wording or complete a document that needs a different assessment.
If the request involves a workplace injury, workers compensation, modified duties, fitness for duty, insurance or a legal report, read when a certificate request may need more than telehealth. The right process can depend on your state, workplace and the document requested.
When telehealth may not be suitable
- Injuries that need physical examination
- Safety-critical fitness questions needing physical assessment
- Documents requiring a state, workplace or compensation process
When to seek urgent care
An online conversation may not give the GP enough information about an injury, physical limitation or safety-critical role. The GP may recommend an in-person examination or another documentation pathway. If symptoms are severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or unsafe, seek emergency or urgent local care instead of waiting for a certificate appointment. The detailed warning signs are on HerDoc's urgent-care page.
- Severe, sudden or rapidly worsening symptoms
- A serious or worsening workplace injury
- Symptoms that make a safety-critical role unsafe
Talk to a GP about work symptoms and evidence
Discuss the illness, injury or symptoms affecting your work, the dates involved and the evidence you have been asked to provide.
Related pages
FAQs
Can I get a medical certificate online for work?
Yes. A HerDoc GP can assess a work certificate request during a telehealth appointment and may issue one when the consultation supports it. The GP decides whether to issue a certificate and what period they can certify.
Are online medical certificates recognised in Australia?
Australian employment guidance does not set one acceptance rule for every online certificate. A certificate issued after a genuine telehealth assessment may be used as evidence, but whether it meets your workplace's requirements depends on the document and your circumstances.
Can my employer ask for evidence for one day off?
Yes. Fair Work says an employer can ask an employee for evidence for as little as one day or less of sick or carer's leave. Your award, registered agreement or workplace policy may say more about when and how to provide it.
What will the GP ask about my work absence?
The GP may ask about your symptoms or injury, when they began, the dates affected and what you cannot safely or reasonably do at work. They may also ask about your role, relevant history and what has changed.
Does a medical certificate need to include my diagnosis?
A detailed diagnosis is not usually needed on an ordinary sickness certificate. Ask the GP what information will be included; further health information should only be disclosed with your consent or another lawful basis.
Can a certificate cover more than one day?
It may, depending on the GP's assessment of your health and work capacity. The number of days requested does not determine the period the GP can certify.
Can a certificate cover part of a day or one shift?
Your employer can ask for evidence for one day or less, but the certificate outcome still depends on the GP's assessment. Have the shift time and workplace request handy so the GP can understand the dates and hours in question.
Can I request evidence for carer's leave through telehealth?
Yes. A HerDoc GP can assess a request for carer's leave evidence, including who needed care or support and why. After the assessment, the GP will decide whether they can issue the requested document and what it can cover.
Can I ask for a certificate if I can work only with temporary changes?
You can explain which usual duties or hours are difficult and ask the GP about the certificate question. A request involving modified duties or work restrictions may need more information than an ordinary sickness certificate, especially for a safety-sensitive role.
Can a certificate cover days before the GP appointment?
The certificate will be dated on the day it is written. In some circumstances, the GP may certify that illness affected you before the consultation, but only when the assessment supports that earlier period; this is decided case by case and cannot be promised.
Will my employer accept a certificate issued after telehealth?
Your employer's response depends on the evidence requirements that apply to your workplace and circumstances. HerDoc cannot promise acceptance, so check the policy or ask your employer if you need certainty.
Can my employer contact the GP about the certificate?
An employer may contact HerDoc to ask whether a certificate is genuine. That does not permit a general discussion of your health; further information should only be disclosed with your consent or another lawful basis. Read the HerDoc privacy policy if you have concerns.
How will I receive the certificate if it is issued?
HerDoc will email the certificate to you after the consultation if the GP issues one. It should arrive within a reasonably short time, although exact timing can vary, so allow for any workplace deadline.
What if my employer asks for different or additional evidence?
Show the GP any written request or form so they can understand what is being asked. The GP may be able to address it, may need more information or may recommend a different assessment; the employer's request does not set the medical conclusion.
What if the absence involves a workplace injury or workers compensation?
Workers-compensation forms are separate from an ordinary sickness certificate and follow state or territory scheme rules. A HerDoc GP can assess the request, but may redirect you to face-to-face care or another process depending on the document and findings. Have the scheme form or instructions available.