Guide
Is a Medical Certificate Required for One-Day Sick Leave?
9 Oct 2026
SICK LEAVE
Doctors Note Online for Work, Reviewed by an Australian GP
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Doctor's note terminology
Is a Doctor's Note the Same as a Medical Certificate in Australia?
Yes, in everyday Australian workplace language, a doctor's note and a sick note commonly refer to a medical certificate. The formal document is usually called a medical certificate, while the other terms are informal ways people describe the same type of evidence.
What matters more than the label is how the document was issued. An OMC Health certificate is issued by an AHPRA-registered GP following a real-time consultation and only when the GP considers certification clinically appropriate.
On OMC Health, searching for a doctor's note, sick note or medical certificate leads to the same sick leave certificate service. An employer can still apply reasonable evidence requirements under an award, registered agreement or workplace policy.
Different names, same everyday context
Doctor's note
Common informal wording.
Sick note
Another common informal term.
Medical certificate
The formal medical evidence document.
Types of evidence
Sick Note, Medical Certificate or Statutory Declaration
A doctor's note and sick note are informal names commonly used for a medical certificate. A statutory declaration is different. It is a legal declaration made by the person stating facts they declare to be true, rather than a clinical assessment made by a doctor.
| What people call it | What it is | Fair Work position |
|---|---|---|
| Medical certificate, doctor's note or sick note | Clinical evidence issued following an assessment, usually confirming that a person was unfit for work for a specified period. | A medical certificate is an example of evidence that may support sick or carer's leave. |
| Statutory declaration | A legal declaration of facts made by the employee. | A statutory declaration is also an example of evidence that may be accepted. |
A statutory declaration is a legal document
The Australian Attorney-General's Department explains that a statutory declaration sets out facts you declare to be true and accurate. Deliberately making a false statement can be an offence. Read the Commonwealth statutory declaration guidance. Whether a declaration meets workplace evidence requirements can depend on the circumstances, award, agreement or workplace policy.
Workplace evidence
What Your Employer Can Ask a Doctor's Note to Show
An employer can ask for evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person that you were genuinely entitled to sick or carer's leave. The Fair Work Ombudsman's guidance lists medical certificates and statutory declarations as examples.
An award or registered agreement may also set rules about when evidence is required and what type should be provided. An OMC Health sick leave certificate focuses on the GP's assessment outcome and relevant certified period rather than reproducing consultation notes.
Certified period
The date or dates the GP assessed as clinically supported.
Practitioner details
Information identifying the GP responsible for issuing the document.
Authenticity
Verification details that help confirm the certificate is genuine.
Notice and evidence
Tell Your Employer First, Then Sort the Paper
Notice and evidence are separate requirements. Under section 107 of the Fair Work Act, an employee must notify their employer as soon as practicable that they are taking leave and say how long they expect to be away.
1
Give notice as soon as practicable
Let your employer know you will be absent and give the expected length of the absence. Depending on the circumstances, that might be a phone call, message or another method your workplace uses.
2
Provide reasonable evidence if asked
If your employer asks for evidence, failing to provide evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person may affect your entitlement to paid sick or carer's leave.
Fair Work's example
Fair Work gives an example of a retail employee who could not get a doctor's appointment for a Monday absence and instead provided a statutory declaration when she returned to work on Tuesday. The declaration was accepted as evidence.
Your doctor is not your employer's investigator
The Fair Work Ombudsman says it does not consider it reasonable for an employer to contact an employee's doctor for further information.
How to Get Started
We operate as a platform that connects you with trusted Australian medical practices.
1
Start your booking
Select the certificate type on the OMC Health booking page, select a date from the calendar, and tell us a bit about your situation.
2
Speak with a GP
A real-time phone or video consultation with an AHPRA-registered Australian GP.
3
Certificate issued if appropriate
If the GP determines it's clinically appropriate, your certificate is digitally issued and emailed the same day.
Ready to get started?
Book a real-time consult with an AHPRA-registered GP. From $9.99.
Clinical standard
The Medical Board's Rules for Whoever Signs
The Medical Board of Australia explains that writing a medical certificate is a medical service and requires a real-time doctor-patient consultation.
The doctor must assess the patient and decide whether certification is indicated. The Board has also warned about services that issue certificates from online questionnaires without a consultation.
The GP asks questions
A booking form alone is not enough to decide whether a certificate should be issued.
Vague answers need clarification
The GP may ask about symptoms, timing and how the problem affects your capacity to work.
The GP makes the decision
A certificate can be declined where the assessment does not support it or telehealth is unsuitable.
Phone consultation
How a GP Writes a Sick Note After a Phone Consult
Phone is generally the default consultation mode for OMC Health sick leave requests. The GP speaks with you in real time, assesses the information you provide and decides whether a certificate is clinically appropriate. The GP can move the consultation to video or recommend in-person care when needed.
The GP calls you
The assessment happens in real time rather than through a questionnaire alone.
Work impact is assessed
The GP considers symptoms, relevant dates and how your condition affects your normal duties.
Video may be required
The GP decides whether phone is sufficient or whether video or in-person assessment is more appropriate.
The Medical Board's telehealth guidance requires doctors to assess whether telehealth is appropriate. For OMC Health patients under 18, a parent or guardian must initiate the booking and be present during a video consultation.
Before the consultation
What to Have Ready Before the Call
A little preparation helps the GP understand the situation without relying on guesswork. You do not need to diagnose yourself. Be ready to explain what happened, when it started and how it affects your work.
When it started
Think about when the symptoms began and whether they have changed since then.
What your work involves
Explain duties such as driving, lifting, standing, concentrating or dealing with customers.
The relevant dates
Know which shifts you have missed and which upcoming work days may be affected.
Your workplace requirements
Check whether your award, agreement or workplace policy specifies evidence requirements.
Take the call somewhere reasonably quiet with reliable reception. The GP will also need to confirm your identity as far as they are able. Give complete and accurate information so the doctor can assess the situation properly.
PRICING
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Clinical decision
When a Doctor's Note Will Not Be Issued
A GP does not issue a certificate simply because one was requested. The doctor decides whether the information gathered during the consultation supports certification and whether telehealth is suitable for the situation.
The assessment does not support leave
If the available clinical information does not support a period of incapacity, certification may be declined.
A physical examination is needed
Some clinical questions cannot be safely resolved through a remote consultation alone.
Urgent care is more appropriate
A medical certificate consultation is not a substitute for urgent or emergency medical assessment.
Telehealth has limits
The Medical Board expects doctors to keep assessing whether telehealth remains appropriate during the consultation. If it does not, the GP may recommend an in-person assessment or another care pathway.
If the GP declines the certificate request, payment and refund arrangements are explained separately in the pricing section.
Example scenario
A Shift You Couldn't Work: How It Plays Out
Say a worker is rostered for Tuesday morning and wakes feeling unwell. The practical steps are simple, but each one has a different purpose.
1
They notify work
The worker messages their supervisor before the shift and explains that they cannot attend.
2
They speak with the GP
The GP asks about symptoms, timing and the worker's normal duties.
3
The GP decides
If the assessment supports the absence, the GP may certify the clinically supported period.
4
Evidence is provided
The worker can forward the PDF and the receiving organisation can use its verification details if needed.
The certificate can focus on the assessment outcome and certified period without exposing consultation notes. Verification confirms whether the document matches an OMC Health-issued record.
Call 000 in an emergency. OMC Health does not provide emergency care.
Digital delivery
Getting Your Note Emailed and Checking It Is Genuine
If the GP approves the certificate after assessment, OMC Health delivers it digitally as a PDF. The document records the key details needed to identify the assessment, certified period and issuing practitioner.
What the certificate records
Consultation date
When the GP assessment occurred.
Certified period
The period supported by the GP's assessment.
GP details
Details identifying the practitioner who issued it.
Verification details
A unique certificate ID and QR verification pathway.
Verification without exposing clinical notes
An employer or organisation can use the certificate ID or QR code to access the OMC Health certificate verification page. The check is designed to confirm authenticity without exposing diagnosis, symptoms or consultation notes.
Why this matters
Verification keeps the check focused on whether the certificate is genuine rather than revealing the underlying consultation.
Issued through our partner practice network
Your consultation is conducted by an AHPRA-registered GP from one of 20+ partner practices across Australia. The certificate is issued under that GP's own registration.
Frequently asked questions
View all FAQsYou can ask. If the assessment supports it, the GP may note restrictions such as no heavy lifting or limited standing. They won't add limits your symptoms don't justify. If the problem started at work, a WorkCover certificate of capacity is usually the right document. Your employer or insurer can confirm which form they need.
Yes, if the GP decides your symptoms stopped you from working that shift. A note can cover one shift, one day or several days. The GP sets the period after assessing you, not from a fixed package. For a night shift that crosses midnight, tell the GP the start time so they can record both dates.
A note from a registered GP is generally accepted as evidence for leave. Acceptance still rests on your workplace policy and the award or agreement you work under. An OMC Health note follows a real-time consult, which is what the Medical Board expects from telehealth. If a manager queries it, point them to the verification details.
Yes. OMC Health consults patients across Australia, and a GP's AHPRA registration is national, not tied to one state. A note written in one state can go to an employer in another. What your workplace asks for still depends on its policy and your award or agreement, so check those first.
It has equal standing when a registered GP issues it following a genuine consultation. Only the setting differs. A clinic note follows a face-to-face visit, while an online note follows a phone or video consult. Both must show the practitioner's details and the certified dates, so your employer can check either one.
In Australia, a doctor's note and a medical certificate are the same document. An AHPRA-registered GP can write one after a real-time phone or video consult, if clinically appropriate. The note confirms you were unfit for work on stated dates. It does not need to name your condition.