What To Do If Your Employer Rejects Your Online Medical Certificate
What To Do If Your Employer Rejects Your Online Medical Certificate
You were unwell, you did the right thing, and you sent your employer a medical certificate from an online consultation. Then the reply comes back: we cannot accept this. It is a stressful moment, especially when you are still recovering and worried about your pay.
The Short Answer: If your employer rejected your medical certificate, do not ignore it and do not panic. Ask for the reason in writing, check that your certificate contains the standard details, check your award, agreement or workplace policy, and offer to have the certificate verified with the service that issued it. Under section 107 of the Fair Work Act, the test is whether your evidence would satisfy a reasonable person, and the Act does not require that evidence to come from a face to face appointment. If you still cannot resolve it, the Fair Work Ombudsman offers free help on 13 13 94.
This guide explains what the law actually asks for, the most common reasons employers push back, a step by step plan, and a simple message you can send today.
GET A MEDICAL CERTIFICATEWhat The Law Actually Asks For
Most employees in Australia are covered by the National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act. According to the Fair Work Ombudsman’s guidance on notice and medical certificates, as at September 2026, an employer can ask for evidence that you took sick or carer’s leave because you were unfit for work, or because you needed to care for an immediate family or household member. Employers can ask for this evidence even for one day or less off work.
The same guidance says medical certificates and statutory declarations are examples of acceptable evidence. There are no strict rules about the exact type of evidence, but it has to convince a reasonable person that you were genuinely entitled to the leave. An award or registered agreement can set out when evidence is needed and what type, and any request must be reasonable in the circumstances.
Where The Idea Of Face Value Acceptance Comes From
You may have heard that employers should accept a medical certificate at face value. That exact phrase is not written into the Fair Work Act, but it reflects how the rules and guidance work together in practice:
- The Australian Medical Association’s guidelines on certificates certifying illness say employers should respect their employees’ privacy and recognise a medical certificate as sufficient certification that an employee is unfit for work.
- The Fair Work Ombudsman does not consider it reasonable for an employer to contact your practitioner for further information, or to attend a medical appointment with you unless you ask them to.
- In The Maritime Union of Australia v DP World Sydney Limited (2014), the Fair Work Commission described an employer’s blanket rejection of retrospective medical certificates as a “dangerous intrusion” into an area where the employer has little expertise.
In plain terms, your employer can ask for evidence and can raise a genuine concern, but it should not simply second guess a clinician’s professional assessment without good reason.
GET A MEDICAL CERTIFICATECommon Reasons An Employer Rejects A Medical Certificate
Knowing why your certificate was knocked back tells you what to do next. Here are the reasons that come up most often, and a sensible response to each.
| Reason Given | What It May Mean | What You Can Do |
|---|---|---|
| “We do not accept online certificates” | The policy may have been written before telehealth became mainstream, or it reflects an outdated assumption. | Point out that the legal test looks at the evidence, not whether the consultation was in person. Our guide on whether online medical certificates are legally valid explains why. |
| “It is not from a doctor” | Some policies, awards or agreements use the words doctor or medical practitioner. | Check the exact wording. Ask whether a certificate from an AHPRA registered nurse practitioner, or a statutory declaration, will be accepted. |
| “It is missing details” | Your name, the dates covered, the practitioner details or the issue date may be unclear. | Contact the service that issued it and ask whether a clearer copy can be provided. Never edit a certificate yourself. |
| “It has been backdated” | It is often a retrospective certificate, dated on the day of your consultation but covering earlier days based on clinical judgement. | Explain the difference politely. Our guide to how long a medical certificate can be backdated sets out the rule. |
| “You told us too late” | Your award, agreement or policy may set timing rules for notice or evidence. | Provide the evidence as soon as you can and explain any delay, for example if you were too unwell to arrange a consultation. |
| “We need more information” | For long absences, a return to work, or safety critical roles, an employer may reasonably need information about your fitness for duties. | Ask exactly what they need and why. Talk to your clinician about what can appropriately be provided, with your consent. |
| “We doubt it is genuine” | Concerns about authenticity or a pattern of absences. | Offer to have the certificate verified with the issuing service and stay calm and factual. |
What To Do Next, Step By Step
- Ask for the reason in writing. A polite email asking which part of the certificate is not accepted, and which policy or clause applies, turns a vague refusal into something you can respond to.
- Check your certificate. The AMA guidelines describe the usual details on a sickness certificate: the practitioner’s name and address, your name, the date of the examination, the date the certificate was issued, and the dates you are or were unfit for work. A diagnosis is not usually required.
- Check your award, agreement, contract and policy. Look for any clause about sick leave evidence, including who must sign it, when it must be provided, and whether a statutory declaration is accepted. Your HR or payroll team can tell you which award or agreement covers you.
- Offer verification. Your employer can contact the service that issued the certificate to confirm it is genuine. Under the AMA guidelines, a practitioner can confirm a certificate is authentic but should not share any other information about you without your express consent. If your certificate came from Intouch Healthcare, your employer can contact us at 07 3303 8561.
- Provide supporting or alternative evidence if needed. The Fair Work Ombudsman gives the example of an employee whose workplace asked for a medical certificate, who provided a statutory declaration instead because she could not get an appointment, and was paid for her day off. A statutory declaration must be completely true.
- Keep a record. Save your certificate, your notice to your employer, and every email or message about the dispute, with dates.
- Get help if it is not resolved. Raise it through your workplace dispute process, HR or your union. The Fair Work Ombudsman can give free information on 13 13 94. The Fair Work Act also has general protections that make it unlawful for an employer to take adverse action against you because you used a workplace right, such as taking sick leave you were entitled to.
One important point: according to the Fair Work Ombudsman, an employee who does not give evidence when asked may not be entitled to be paid for that leave. That is why it is worth responding promptly and constructively rather than letting the issue sit.
What Your Employer Can And Cannot Ask For
| Your Employer Generally Can | Your Employer Generally Should Not |
|---|---|
| Ask for evidence of sick or carer’s leave, even for one day or less | Contact your practitioner for further information about you |
| Set reasonable evidence rules through an award, registered agreement or policy | Attend your medical appointment unless you ask them to |
| Ask the issuing service to confirm a certificate is genuine | Expect a practitioner to share other information without your express consent |
| Seek information about fitness for work in some situations, such as long absences or safety critical roles | Take adverse action against you for using a workplace right, such as taking sick leave you are entitled to |
Where your situation sits on this list can depend on your award, agreement, contract, industry and the facts of your absence.
Are Nurse Practitioner Certificates Accepted?
This is one of the most common reasons an online certificate is questioned, so it is worth being clear. Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses registered with AHPRA through the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. They assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe within their scope of practice.
So if your employer’s policy specifically asks for a doctor’s certificate, check the exact wording and raise it with HR. Ask whether a certificate from an AHPRA registered nurse practitioner, or a statutory declaration, will meet the requirement. Knowing this before you need a certificate saves a lot of stress later.
GET A MEDICAL CERTIFICATEWhen An Employer May Have A Genuine Concern
To be fair to employers, some pushback is reasonable. A certificate is more likely to be questioned when:
- It came from a service that issues certificates from an online form with no real time consultation with a practitioner. The Medical Board of Australia’s telehealth guidance emphasises genuine, real time consultations as the basis of safe care.
- It does not cover the dates you were absent, or key details are missing.
- It appears to have been altered. If anything on a certificate is wrong, ask the issuing service to correct it. Never change it yourself.
- The absence is long, repeated, or involves a return to safety critical duties, where more information about fitness for work may reasonably be needed.
A certificate that follows a genuine clinical assessment by a registered practitioner is much harder to dispute, which is why the quality of the consultation matters as much as the document itself.
How To Avoid Problems Next Time
- Notify early. The Fair Work Ombudsman says you should tell your employer as soon as possible, which can be after the leave has started, and say how long you expect to be away.
- Read your policy before you need it. Know whether your workplace asks for a certificate, a statutory declaration, or specific wording.
- Choose a service with a real assessment. Look for AHPRA registered practitioners who speak with you before any certificate is issued.
- Be honest about your symptoms. Accurate information supports a sound clinical decision.
- Send it promptly and keep a copy. A quick email with the certificate attached also gives you a dated record.
If you are often unwell outside business hours, our guide on getting a certificate when you are sick on a Sunday night covers the timing side.
How Intouch Healthcare Can Help
Intouch Healthcare is a telehealth service led by AHPRA registered nurse practitioners. When you request an online medical certificate, a nurse practitioner speaks with you and assesses your symptoms. A certificate is issued only if the nurse practitioner considers you unfit for work, and the dates it covers are based on that clinical assessment, not on preference. Completing the online request does not guarantee a certificate.
Nurse practitioners are available 7 days a week from 8am to 10pm AEST. A medical certificate is priced from $19.50 for 1 to 2 days and $27.00 for 3 days or more. No service can guarantee that a particular employer will accept a certificate, because workplace requirements vary, but a certificate that follows a genuine assessment gives you strong evidence to work with.
If your symptoms need more than a certificate, a telehealth consultation can cover advice, prescriptions or referrals where clinically appropriate, and a nurse practitioner may recommend in person care when that is the safer option.
Unwell and need evidence for work? You can request an online medical certificate and be assessed from home.
GET A MEDICAL CERTIFICATEFrequently Asked Questions
Q: Can my employer reject my medical certificate in Australia?
An employer can ask for evidence and can raise genuine concerns, for example if a certificate appears altered or does not cover the days you were absent. However, under section 107 of the Fair Work Act the test is whether your evidence would satisfy a reasonable person, and the Fair Work Ombudsman lists medical certificates as an example of acceptable evidence. Your award, registered agreement or workplace policy may also set specific requirements, so check yours.
Q: Is an online medical certificate as valid as one from a clinic?
The Fair Work Act does not say evidence must come from a face to face appointment. What matters is that a registered health practitioner genuinely assessed you and that the certificate contains the standard details, such as the practitioner details, your name, the date issued and the dates you were unfit for work.
Q: Can my employer contact the clinician who issued my certificate?
An employer can ask the issuing service to confirm that a certificate is genuine. The Fair Work Ombudsman does not consider it reasonable for an employer to contact your practitioner for further information, and AMA guidance says a practitioner should not share other information about you without your express consent.
Q: Do I have to tell my employer my diagnosis?
A diagnosis is not usually required on a medical certificate, according to the Australian Medical Association guidelines. More information may reasonably be needed in some situations, such as a long absence or a return to a safety critical role, and some awards, agreements or contracts set their own requirements.
Q: Can I use a statutory declaration instead of a medical certificate?
The Fair Work Ombudsman lists statutory declarations as another example of acceptable evidence for sick or carer’s leave. Whether one is enough in your case can depend on your award, registered agreement or workplace policy. A statutory declaration must be completely true, because making a false declaration is an offence.
Q: What if my employer still refuses to pay my sick leave?
Ask for the decision and the reason in writing, keep copies of everything you have sent, and raise it through your workplace process, HR or your union. If it is still unresolved, the Fair Work Ombudsman can give free information and help.
