Sick leave or fitness certificate: what you need to know and how to get one

A sick leave certificate is a doctor's statement that you were unwell and unfit for work or study on stated dates. A fitness certificate is a doctor's statement that you are fit for a stated purpose, like starting a job, joining a sports club or flying.

Neither certificate lists your full medical history.

A sick leave note does not say you are fit to return. A fitness note does not excuse past absence.

On the DrCertificate form, choose the Sick Leave option for university or work if you need time off covered. A general medical certificate uses that same option. Choose the Medical Fitness Certificate option for employee, student, sports, fit to work or fit to fly needs.

Two lookalikes cause confusion. A work from home certificate says you can work but should stay home, and an unfit to travel certificate says you should not fly. Both have their own options on the form.

Acceptance of a sick leave or fitness certificate is decided by the employer, school or airline that receives it, not by DrCertificate or the doctor. Each organisation sets its own rules on which notes it takes. Ask before you apply, not after.

A certificate gets questioned for a handful of common reasons. The type may be wrong, like a sick leave note sent when HR wanted a fit to work note. Details may be missing or mismatched, or the dates may not match the absence. A company policy may require a doctor from an approved panel. A role may need a physical exam that no online chat can replace.

In the Philippines, the Omnibus Rules that carry out the Labor Code say the physician engaged by an employer under the rule conducts a free pre employment medical examination and a free annual physical examination. An online note does not stand in for that.

If your certificate is questioned, ask the organisation to tell you in writing what it needs. Show the doctor's details printed on the certificate and check that you picked the right form option. If an in person exam is required, book one with a local clinic.

Sick leave and fitness certificate rules differ across the 10 South East Asian countries DrCertificate serves, and each employer adds its own policy on top. The service covers Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. DrCertificate also covers the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, along with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

In most of these countries, sick leave and work from home notes go up to 7 days for generic symptoms, and fitness notes are generally valid for 30 days. The doctor still decides each case.

Singapore ties paid sick leave to certification by a registered medical practitioner, and the Ministry of Manpower website sets out the rule. In Malaysia, the Employment Act and your contract set sick leave entitlement. In the Philippines, the Department of Labor and Employment publishes labour rules, including those on medical exams. In every other served country, the national labour or health ministry website is the place to check.

Then confirm with your employer, school or airline before you apply.