Sick Pay Entitlement in Australia

Sick pay entitlement in Australia is usually part of paid personal/carer's leave. It helps eligible employees take time away from work when they are unfit for work because of personal illness or injury, or when they need 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 pay feels straightforward: you are sick, you notify your employer, and your leave is paid from your accrued balance. In practice, there are important rules around eligibility, notice, evidence, ordinary hours, casual employment, carer's leave, workplace policies, and medical certificates.

Employees may need to provide evidence, such as a medical certificate or statutory declaration, if their employer asks for it. Employers can ask for evidence even for short absences, including one day or less. If evidence is required but not provided, the employee may not be entitled to paid sick or carer's leave for that absence.

This guide explains sick pay entitlement in Australia, including who gets paid sick leave, how much leave full-time and part-time employees receive, how sick leave is paid, when evidence may be requested, what casual employees should know, and how online medical certificates may support sick leave 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 and part-time employees are generally entitled to paid sick and carer's leave under the National Employment Standards.
• Casual employees generally do not receive paid sick leave, but they may have access to unpaid carer's leave.
• Full-time employees receive 10 days of paid sick and carer's leave per year, while part-time employees receive a pro-rata amount based on ordinary hours.
• Sick and carer's leave is paid at the employee's base pay rate for the ordinary hours they would normally have worked.
• Employees usually need to give notice as soon as possible and tell the employer how long they expect to be away if they can.
• Employers can ask for evidence, including for one day or less off work.
• Medical certificates and statutory declarations are common examples of evidence.
• Online medical certificates may be considered where telehealth is suitable and the practitioner can assess the request safely.
• Dociva does not guarantee medical certificates and does not provide backdated medical certificates.

Medical Certificates

What Is Sick Pay Entitlement?

Sick pay entitlement refers to paid leave that eligible employees can use when they cannot work because of personal illness or injury.

In Australia, paid sick leave is usually discussed together with paid carer's leave. Fair Work describes this entitlement as paid sick and carer's leave, also known as personal/carer's leave.

An employee can use paid sick leave when they cannot work because of their own illness or injury. This can include physical illness, injury, stress, and pregnancy-related illness where the employee is unfit for work.

An employee can use paid carer's leave when they need to care for or support an immediate family or household member who is sick, injured, or affected by an unexpected emergency.

Sick pay is not a bonus or separate payment. It is paid leave taken from the employee's accrued personal/carer's leave balance.

Who Gets Paid Sick Leave in Australia?

The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that all employees except casuals are entitled to paid sick and carer's leave. This entitlement comes from the National Employment Standards.

This means full-time employees and part-time employees generally receive paid sick and carer's leave.

Casual employees generally do not receive paid sick leave. This is one reason casual employees receive casual loading, although casual loading does not create a paid sick leave balance.

Some employers may offer more generous arrangements under an enterprise agreement, employment contract, policy, or workplace arrangement. However, minimum entitlements under the National Employment Standards must still be met.

If you are unsure whether you are full-time, part-time, casual, or covered by a particular award or agreement, check your employment documents or seek workplace advice.

How Much Paid Sick Leave Do Employees Get?

Full-time employees receive 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.

Fair Work explains that the entitlement is based on ordinary hours of work and can be calculated as 1/26 of an employee's ordinary hours of work in a year.

For example, a full-time employee working 38 ordinary hours per week generally accrues 76 hours of paid sick and carer's leave per year. A part-time employee working half those ordinary hours generally accrues half that amount.

Sick and carer's leave accumulates gradually throughout the year from the employee's first day of work. It does not usually appear as a full yearly entitlement on day one unless an employer provides it upfront as part of a more generous policy.

Does Sick Leave Carry Over?

Yes. Paid sick and carer's leave generally carries over from year to year if it is not used.

This means an employee's unused sick leave balance can build over time.

However, sick leave is different from annual leave. It is not usually paid out when employment ends unless an award, agreement, contract, or workplace policy provides otherwise.

Employees should check their payslip, payroll portal, employment contract, award, or enterprise agreement if they are unsure about their accrued balance.

If the balance appears incorrect, raise it with payroll or HR early. Leave balance issues can become harder to resolve if they are left for a long time.

How Is Sick Pay Calculated?

Paid sick or carer's leave is paid for the hours the employee would normally have worked during the leave period.

The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that sick and carer's leave is paid at the employee's base pay rate for each hour or part of an hour of leave taken.

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

For example, if an employee would normally work 7.6 ordinary hours on a day they are sick, their sick leave payment is generally based on those ordinary hours, not overtime they might sometimes work.

If shift work, rostered hours, allowances, or overtime are involved, employees should check their award, agreement, contract, or payroll advice for how payment applies.

When Can You Take Paid Sick Leave?

You can take paid sick leave when you are not able to work because of your own personal illness or injury.

This may include short-term illness, injury, acute symptoms, recovery from surgery, stress-related illness, pregnancy-related illness, flare-ups of chronic conditions, or other health issues that make you unfit for work.

The key point is work capacity. Sick leave is not simply for any health-related appointment or personal preference. It usually applies when illness or injury means you cannot work.

If you are attending a planned medical appointment but are otherwise fit for work, another leave arrangement may apply depending on your workplace policy.

If illness or treatment makes you unfit for work on the day of the appointment or during recovery, sick leave may be relevant where supported by evidence.

Sick Pay vs 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 unfit for 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 they are sick, injured, or affected by an unexpected emergency.

An immediate family member can include a spouse, de facto partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or corresponding in-law, step, or adoptive relation. A household member is someone who lives with the employee.

If you are requesting evidence, it is important to identify whether the request is for your own sick leave or for carer's leave. The certificate wording may differ.

What About Casual Employees?

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

However, casual employees may have other leave entitlements. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that all employees, including casual employees, are entitled to 2 days of unpaid carer's leave when an immediate family or household member needs care or support because of illness, injury, or an unexpected emergency.

Casual employees may also be entitled to other forms of leave in specific circumstances, such as unpaid compassionate leave or paid family and domestic violence leave.

Some casual employees may have additional rights under an award, agreement, contract, or state-based scheme, depending on the situation.

If you are casual and unsure about your rights, check Fair Work guidance, your award, your workplace policy, or seek workplace advice.

Notice Requirements for Sick Pay

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

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

The employee should also tell the employer how long they expect to be away from work if they can.

Workplace policies may require notice by phone, email, text, rostering system, HR platform, or direct manager contact. Some workplaces may require notice before a shift starts where practical.

If you are too unwell to notify your employer immediately, provide notice as soon as practical or ask someone appropriate to help where needed.

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Can Your Employer Ask for Evidence?

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

Fair Work explains that employers can ask for evidence showing that an employee was unable to work because of illness or injury, or needed to care for or support an immediate family or household member.

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

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

The type of evidence requested must be reasonable in the circumstances. Awards or registered agreements may also specify when evidence is required and what type of evidence needs to be provided.

What Counts as Evidence for Sick Pay?

Medical certificates and statutory declarations are common examples of evidence for sick or carer's leave.

A medical certificate is issued by a health practitioner after assessment. It may state that the employee was unfit for work for a particular period, or that the employee needed to provide care or support for a particular period.

A statutory declaration is a formal statement declared to be true. It may be accepted in some circumstances, depending on the employer's policy and the situation.

Some employers may accept other forms of evidence, such as hospital documents, appointment letters, pharmacy certificates, or other supporting information. However, this depends on the workplace and the circumstances.

If your employer specifically asks for a medical certificate, check whether another form of evidence will be accepted before relying on it.

Do You Need Evidence for One Day of Sick Leave?

You may need evidence for one day of sick leave if your employer asks for it.

There is no general rule that every employee can take one day off sick without evidence. Some workplaces may allow this, while others may ask for evidence even for short absences.

Your employer's request should still be reasonable in the circumstances.

If you are unsure, check your workplace policy, award, enterprise agreement, employment contract, or payroll guidance.

To avoid problems, seek assessment as early as possible if you think your employer may ask for a medical certificate.

Does a Sick Leave Certificate Need to Include Your Diagnosis?

Usually, a sick leave certificate does not need to include a detailed diagnosis.

The key issue for ordinary workplace evidence is generally whether you were unfit for work for the stated period.

Diagnosis information can be sensitive. A certificate can often use privacy-conscious wording, such as stating that the person was unfit for work, without listing symptoms, medicines, or detailed medical history.

If your employer asks for more medical detail than expected, you may wish to ask why it is needed and seek workplace advice if unsure.

Patients should avoid sharing more health information than is reasonably necessary for the purpose.

Can Online Medical Certificates Support Sick Pay?

Online medical certificates may support sick pay where telehealth is clinically appropriate and the practitioner can assess the request safely.

Australian telehealth should be treated as proper healthcare delivered through technology. The Medical Board of Australia explains that telehealth consultations use technology as an alternative to in-person consultations and may 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 sick leave certificate request, the practitioner may review 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 Sick Pay Be Refused?

Sick pay may be refused or not processed 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 the evidence appears incomplete, inconsistent, altered, unclear, or unrelated to the leave period.

A medical certificate can support a sick leave request, but it does not decide every workplace entitlement question. Payroll, HR, workplace policy, awards, agreements, and employment laws may still affect how leave is processed.

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

Employees should not alter a certificate to try to make it fit a workplace requirement. Changing certificate wording can create serious workplace and integrity concerns.

What If You Run Out of Paid 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 workplace arrangement applies.

You may need to discuss options with your employer. These might include unpaid leave, annual leave, long service leave, flexible work arrangements, workplace adjustments, workers compensation if work-related, or other supports depending on the circumstances.

If the absence is long-term or repeated, your employer may request medical evidence about capacity, expected duration, or return-to-work options.

If the illness or injury is work-related, different workers compensation rules may apply.

For ongoing health issues, speak with your usual GP or treating team early so care, evidence, and workplace communication can be planned properly.

Sick Pay and Medical Appointments

Medical appointments are not automatically sick leave.

A pre-arranged medical appointment or elective surgery may be covered by sick leave only if you are not able to work because of personal illness or injury. This depends on the individual circumstances.

If you are otherwise fit for work and only need time away to attend an appointment, another leave type may apply, such as annual leave, unpaid leave, time in lieu, flexible work, or another workplace arrangement.

If the appointment involves treatment, recovery, sedation, pain, or a condition that makes you unfit for work, sick leave may be more relevant where clinically supported.

Ask your employer what evidence is needed and which leave type applies before the appointment where possible.

What to Prepare Before Requesting a Sick Leave Certificate

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

Can a Sick Certificate Be Backdated?

Dociva does not provide backdated medical certificates.

A medical 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 pay, 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, but the practitioner must decide what can be supported based on timing, symptoms, documentation, and clinical assessment.

The safest certificate wording should accurately reflect what was reviewed and when.

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 pay 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 for the situation.

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 details are inconsistent or incomplete.

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 casual employees receive paid sick leave automatically.
• Assuming evidence is never needed for one day of sick leave.
• Not notifying the employer as soon as possible.
• Waiting too long before requesting a medical certificate.
• Requesting a backdated certificate.
• Leaving out important dates, symptoms, work impact, or workplace deadlines.
• Assuming a certificate guarantees sick pay approval.
• 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 pay process starts with knowing your leave balance, giving notice early, seeking review 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 pay entitlement, leave balances, payroll outcomes, workplace disputes, or employer policy decisions. 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.

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