AEU Member Resources

Medical Certificates

You may take up to five days of personal leave in a year without a medical certificate but it cannot be for three or more consecutive days. Our view is that you are better off providing a certificate whenever you can.

If you are taking personal leave (sick or carers leave) for three or more consecutive days then you will need to provide your employer with a medical certificate.

This medical certificate needs to be from a registered health practitioner. This includes registered health practitioners for illness or injury within their chosen field of practice. So this means that a certificate from a dentist for a mental condition will not be accepted, but for an infected tooth it would be fine.

Registered Health Practitioners include:

  • medical doctors – general practitioners, specialists and surgeons;
  • chiropractors;
  • dentists;
  • nurses/midwives;
  • osteopaths;
  • pharmacists;
  • physiotherapists;
  • psychologists;
  • dental prosthetics/specialist (Tasmanian only);
  • optometrists (Tasmanian only);
  • podiatrists (Tasmanian only); and
  • radiation technologists (Tasmanian only).

What if you cannot get a medical certificate?

If it is not reasonably practicable for you to provide a medical

certificate then you can provide a statutory declaration stating the circumstances and the reasons for which leave is required.

But you cannot provide a statutory declaration if are absent for three or more consecutive days, or you have taken the five days of personal leave without a medical certificate above.

Other points to note

If an employee provides a medical certificate for only part of the employee’s absence, the remaining period must be recorded as non-certificated leave.

A principal/manager should not allow you to attend work if that day is covered by a medical certificate unless a medical clearance is provided by a registered health practitioner.

Personal leave for illness or injury will not be granted to you if you are suspected of being absent from duty without sufficient cause.

With a reasonable notice you may be directed to undergo a medical examination by a registered health practitioner selected and paid for by your employer at any reasonable time and place. If so let us know.

If they seek your consent to obtain a medical report from your GP contact us before providing consent.

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