Sick Leave Entitlements in Australia

Sick leave entitlements in Australia help eligible employees take time away from work when they are unable to work because of personal illness or injury. Sick leave is part of paid personal/carer's leave, which can also be used when an employee needs to care for or support an immediate family or household member.

Dociva does not provide backdated medical certificates. A certificate can only be considered from the date of the clinical assessment and cannot be issued for a date before the assessment took place.

For many employees, sick leave feels simple: you become unwell, notify your employer, and take time off from your accrued leave balance. In practice, there are important rules around eligibility, accrual, notice, evidence, medical certificates, casual employment, carer's leave, workplace policies, and how sick leave is paid.

Employers can ask for evidence when an employee takes sick leave or carer's leave, including for short absences. Medical certificates and statutory declarations are common examples of evidence. If evidence is requested and not provided, this may affect whether the leave is paid.

This guide explains sick leave entitlements in Australia, including how paid sick leave accrues, who is eligible, how evidence rules work, when medical certificates may be needed, what casual employees should know, and how online medical certificates may support sick leave requests where clinically appropriate.

This information is general only. It does not replace legal advice, workplace advice, Fair Work advice, payroll advice, union advice, medical advice, or guidance from your employer. If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or make you feel unsafe, call 000 or seek urgent medical attention.

Key Points

• Paid sick leave is part of paid personal/carer's leave in Australia.
• Full-time employees are generally entitled to 10 days of paid sick and carer's leave each year.
• Part-time employees receive a pro-rata amount based on their ordinary hours of work.
• Casual employees generally do not receive paid sick leave, but may have access to unpaid carer's leave and other entitlements.
• Unused paid sick and carer's leave generally carries over from year to year.
• Employees usually need to notify their employer as soon as possible when taking sick or carer's leave.
• Employers can ask for evidence for sick or carer's leave, including for one day or less off work.
• Medical certificates and statutory declarations are common forms of evidence.
• Online medical certificates may be considered where telehealth is suitable and the practitioner can safely assess the request.
• Dociva does not provide backdated medical certificates, and certificate requests are subject to practitioner assessment.

Medical Certificates

What Are Sick Leave Entitlements?

Sick leave entitlements are workplace rights that allow eligible employees to take paid time off when they cannot work because of illness or injury.

In Australia, sick leave is usually part of paid personal/carer's leave. This entitlement covers both personal illness or injury and caring responsibilities for an immediate family or household member.

An employee may use sick leave when they are unfit for work because of a health issue. This may include short-term illness, injury, recovery from surgery, stress-related illness, pregnancy-related illness, flare-ups of chronic conditions, or other situations where the employee cannot safely or reasonably work.

Carer's leave uses the same entitlement, but applies when the employee needs to provide care or support to someone else who is sick, injured, or affected by an unexpected emergency.

Sick leave entitlements should not be confused with annual leave, unpaid leave, workers compensation, long service leave, or special workplace arrangements. Different rules may apply depending on the situation.

Who Is Entitled to Paid Sick Leave?

The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that full-time and part-time employees can take paid sick leave if they cannot work because of a personal illness or injury.

Full-time employees are generally entitled to 10 days of paid sick and carer's leave per year. Part-time employees receive a pro-rata amount based on their ordinary hours of work.

Casual employees generally do not receive paid sick leave under the National Employment Standards. However, they may still have other leave entitlements, including unpaid carer's leave in certain circumstances.

Some employees may have more generous entitlements under an enterprise agreement, award, employment contract, workplace policy, or other arrangement. Minimum entitlements still need to meet applicable workplace laws.

If you are unsure whether you are full-time, part-time, casual, or covered by a particular award or agreement, check your employment documents, payslip, HR system, union, Fair Work, or workplace adviser.

How Much Sick Leave Do Full-Time Employees Get?

Full-time employees are generally entitled to 10 days of paid sick and carer's leave each year.

For many full-time employees working 38 ordinary hours per week, this usually equals 76 hours per year.

The entitlement accumulates gradually throughout the year from the employee's first day of work. It is not usually a separate lump sum that only appears at the end of the year.

If an employee changes ordinary hours, moves between full-time and part-time work, or has an unusual roster, the sick leave calculation may require closer review.

Employees should check their payslip, payroll portal, employment contract, award, enterprise agreement, or HR team if they are unsure how their sick leave balance is calculated.

How Much Sick Leave Do Part-Time Employees Get?

Part-time employees receive paid sick and carer's leave on a pro-rata basis.

This means their entitlement is based on their ordinary hours of work. A part-time employee who works fewer ordinary hours than a full-time employee will accrue a smaller amount of paid sick and carer's leave.

For example, if a part-time employee works half the ordinary hours of a full-time employee, they generally accrue about half the paid sick and carer's leave entitlement.

The leave balance should accumulate gradually during employment and carry over if it is not used.

If part-time hours change regularly, employees may need to check payroll records or seek workplace advice to understand their accrued balance.

Does Sick Leave Carry Over?

Unused paid sick and carer's leave generally carries over from year to year.

This means if you do not use your full sick leave balance in one year, the unused amount remains available in future years.

This is different from some other types of leave and can be important for employees who later experience a longer illness, injury, surgery recovery, or caring responsibility.

However, sick leave is not usually paid out when employment ends unless an award, agreement, contract, or workplace policy says otherwise.

If your sick leave balance does not appear correct, raise it with payroll or HR as early as possible. Leave balance issues are easier to resolve when records are current.

How Is Sick Leave Paid?

Paid sick and carer's leave is generally paid at the employee's base rate of pay for the ordinary hours they would have worked during the leave period.

The base rate of pay usually does not include separate payments such as overtime, penalty rates, bonuses, loadings, allowances, or incentive-based payments.

For example, if you would normally work 7.6 ordinary hours on a day you are unwell, your sick leave payment is generally based on those ordinary hours.

Payment can be more complex for shift workers, employees with variable rosters, overtime patterns, or award-specific arrangements.

If you are unsure how sick leave should be paid, check your award, agreement, contract, payslip, HR team, payroll team, union, or Fair Work guidance.

When Can You Use Sick Leave?

You can generally use paid sick leave when you cannot work because of your own illness or injury.

This may include acute illness, injury, infection, migraine, mental health symptoms, recovery after surgery, pregnancy-related illness, chronic condition flare-ups, or another health issue that affects your ability to work.

The key issue is whether you are unfit for work. A health-related appointment does not automatically mean sick leave applies if you are otherwise able to work.

If you are attending a routine appointment, planned review, or elective procedure, your employer may ask whether sick leave, annual leave, unpaid leave, flexible time, or another arrangement applies.

If the appointment, treatment, anaesthetic, recovery, pain, medication effects, or condition makes you unfit for work, sick leave may be relevant where supported by evidence.

Sick Leave and Carer's Leave

Sick leave and carer's leave come from the same paid personal/carer's leave entitlement, but they are used for different reasons.

Sick leave applies when you are unable to work because of your own illness or injury.

Carer's leave applies when you need to care for or support an immediate family or household member because of illness, injury, or an unexpected emergency.

Evidence for carer's leave may need to show that care or support was required, rather than that the employee was personally unfit for work.

Privacy is especially important for carer's leave because the health information may relate to the person being cared for rather than the employee.

What About Casual Employees?

Casual employees generally do not receive paid sick leave under the National Employment Standards.

However, casual employees may still have access to unpaid carer's leave. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that all employees, including casual employees, are entitled to unpaid carer's leave in certain circumstances.

Some casual employees may also have access to other leave entitlements depending on the situation, such as compassionate leave or family and domestic violence leave.

Casual employees should check their employment terms, award, agreement, state-based schemes where relevant, and Fair Work guidance if unsure.

If you are casual and need time away because of illness, notify your employer as soon as possible and ask what evidence or workplace process applies.

Notice Requirements for Sick Leave

Employees usually need to notify their employer when they are taking sick or carer's leave.

The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that employees need to let their employer know they are taking sick or carer's leave as soon as possible. This can be after the leave has started.

Employees should also tell the employer how long they expect to be away if they can.

Workplace policies may explain who to contact, how to notify, and what timeframe applies. Some workplaces require employees to call before a shift. Others use email, text message, rostering software, or HR systems.

Notice and evidence are different. Even if you notify your employer properly, they may still ask for evidence if the policy or circumstances require it.

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Can Employers Ask for Evidence?

Yes. Employers can ask for evidence when an employee takes sick leave or carer's leave.

Fair Work explains that evidence should show the employee took leave because they were not able to work due to illness or injury, or because they needed to provide care or support to an immediate family or household member.

Employers can ask for evidence for as little as one day or less off work.

Medical certificates and statutory declarations are examples of evidence. Some workplaces may accept other evidence depending on the policy and circumstances.

If an employee does not provide evidence when required, they may not be entitled to paid sick or carer's leave for that absence.

Medical Certificates for Sick Leave

A medical certificate may support a sick leave request by confirming that the employee was unfit for work for a stated period.

The certificate should reflect an appropriate assessment by a registered health practitioner and should only cover the period that can be clinically supported.

A certificate does not usually need to include a detailed diagnosis. The main point for ordinary sick leave evidence is generally whether the employee was unfit for work.

The certificate should not be changed by the employee after it has been issued. Altering dates, wording, practitioner details, or absence periods can create serious workplace and integrity concerns.

If the employer has a specific certificate requirement, the employee should tell the practitioner before the assessment where possible.

Can You Get an Online Medical Certificate?

Online medical certificates may be considered where telehealth is clinically appropriate and the practitioner has enough information to assess the request safely.

Australian telehealth should be treated as proper healthcare delivered through technology. The Medical Board of Australia explains that telehealth consultations can include video, internet, telephone consultations, digital images, data, and prescribing.

The Medical Board also notes that telehealth is not suitable for every consultation and that care should meet safe professional standards.

For a certificate request, the practitioner may assess symptoms, onset, severity, work impact, medical history, medicines, allergies, and whether urgent or in-person care is needed.

A certificate is not guaranteed. The practitioner may issue a certificate where clinically appropriate, ask for more information, recommend phone or video review, suggest in-person care, or decline the request if it is not supported.

Can a Sick Certificate Be Backdated?

Dociva does not provide backdated medical certificates.

A certificate should reflect the practitioner's assessment and the information available at the time of review. It should not be written as though an earlier assessment occurred if it did not.

If you are unwell and may need evidence for sick leave, request medical review as early as possible.

If your employer asks for evidence after the absence, you may still discuss your situation with a practitioner. However, the practitioner must decide what can be supported based on timing, symptoms, documentation, and clinical assessment.

The safest wording should accurately reflect what was assessed and when.

What If You Run Out of Sick Leave?

If you run out of paid sick and carer's leave, you may not be paid for further sick leave unless another entitlement or arrangement applies.

You may need to discuss options with your employer. These may include unpaid leave, annual leave, long service leave, flexible work arrangements, workplace adjustments, or another agreed pathway.

If the illness or injury is work-related, workers compensation processes may apply instead of ordinary sick leave.

If the condition is ongoing, your employer may ask for updated evidence about expected duration, work capacity, or return-to-work arrangements.

For ongoing health issues, it is usually best to involve your regular GP or treating team early so evidence and care can be planned properly.

Can Sick Leave Be Denied?

Sick leave may be denied or not paid if the employee is not eligible, does not have enough accrued leave, does not give required notice, or does not provide evidence when reasonably requested.

It may also be disputed if evidence appears incomplete, altered, inconsistent, unclear, or unrelated to the requested leave period.

A medical certificate can support a sick leave request, but it does not decide every workplace entitlement question.

Employers still process leave according to workplace policy, leave balances, awards, agreements, contracts, payroll rules, and employment laws.

If there is disagreement, the employee may need to speak with HR, payroll, their manager, a union, Fair Work, or a workplace adviser.

What to Prepare Before Requesting a Sick Leave Certificate

• The date your symptoms started.
• The exact date or dates you were unable to work.
• How symptoms affected your ability to perform your job.
• Whether symptoms are improving, stable, worsening, recurring, or resolved.
• Your current medicines, allergies, medical history, pregnancy status where relevant, and recent test results if available.
• Any recent GP visits, urgent care, hospital care, pharmacy advice, pathology, imaging, or specialist review.
• Any workplace deadline for providing evidence.
• Whether the request is for sick leave, carer's leave, surgery recovery, medical appointment leave, or return-to-work documentation.

Clear information helps the practitioner decide what can be clinically supported and whether telehealth is suitable.

If your employer has a specific form or certificate requirement, provide that information before the consultation where possible.

When Online Care May Not Be Enough

Online care may not be suitable if symptoms require physical examination, urgent assessment, emergency care, close monitoring, or treatment that cannot be provided remotely.

Call 000 or seek urgent care for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, signs of stroke, severe allergic reaction, heavy bleeding, serious injury, severe dehydration, fainting, sudden confusion, severe abdominal pain, severe head injury, or symptoms that are rapidly worsening.

Telehealth may also be unsuitable where diagnosis depends on examination, urgent pathology, imaging, wound care, procedures, mental health crisis assessment, return-to-work physical assessment, or immediate treatment.

If the practitioner recommends in-person care instead of issuing a certificate, follow that advice promptly.

A sick leave or certificate request should never delay urgent medical attention.

Why a Certificate Request May Be Declined

A doctor may decline a certificate request if the information does not support incapacity for work, if the requested period cannot be supported, or if telehealth is not suitable.

The doctor may also decline if the request would require backdating, if symptoms require in-person review, if urgent care is needed, or if the information is incomplete or inconsistent.

Sometimes the practitioner may ask for more information before making a decision. This may include a phone call, video review, clarification of dates, uploaded documents, or details about symptoms and work impact.

A declined request does not necessarily mean the person was not unwell. It may mean the practitioner cannot responsibly certify the requested period based on the information available.

Responsible certificate practice includes knowing when not to issue a document.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming sick leave entitlements are the same for full-time, part-time, and casual employees.
• Assuming evidence is never needed for one day off work.
• Not notifying the employer as soon as possible.
• Waiting too long before requesting medical evidence.
• Requesting a backdated certificate.
• Leaving out important dates, symptoms, work impact, or workplace deadlines.
• Assuming a medical certificate guarantees sick leave payment.
• Sharing unnecessary diagnosis information with an employer.
• Editing or altering a certificate after it has been issued.
• Using an online certificate request when urgent care is needed.

A safer sick leave process starts with understanding your leave balance, notifying your employer early, seeking assessment promptly where evidence may be needed, and providing accurate information to the practitioner.

More of Our Services

Using Dociva

Dociva supports access to online healthcare where telehealth is clinically appropriate. Depending on the service and assessment, this may include medical certificate requests, sick leave certificates, carer's leave certificates, online consultations, prescription support, referral support, and general healthcare guidance.

Each medical certificate request is reviewed by an Australian registered medical practitioner. The practitioner decides whether the certificate can be issued, whether more information is needed, or whether another care pathway is more appropriate.

Dociva does not guarantee that a medical certificate will be issued. Any certificate depends on the practitioner's clinical assessment, the information provided, the requested period, and whether telehealth is suitable.

Dociva does not decide sick leave entitlement, leave balances, payroll outcomes, employer policy decisions, workplace disputes, or Fair Work matters. A certificate may support a sick leave request where clinically appropriate, but the employer processes leave according to workplace and legal requirements.

Dociva does not provide backdated medical certificates. Patients should request evidence as early as possible and provide accurate information about symptoms, dates, work impact, caring responsibilities, and the reason for the request.

Helpful places to start include medical certificate application, sick leave certificates, carer's leave certificates, and online consultations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)