Medical certificates and Irish employers

Irish statutory sick leave requires a certificate from a registered medical practitioner. The legislation does not require that the consultation took place in person. What matters is that a registered Doctor assessed the person and was satisfied that certifying was appropriate.

Doctors in Ireland are regulated by the Irish Medical Council and are expected to certify only what they can honestly confirm. In an online consultation, the Doctor may decide the condition can be assessed remotely and issue a certificate, or that an in-person assessment is needed first. That decision belongs to the Doctor.

Under the Sick Leave Act 2022, eligible employees are entitled to a set number of paid statutory sick days each year (currently five), paid at 70% of normal wages up to a daily cap, provided they supply a medical certificate. The number of days and the cap can change, so check the current Citizens Information guidance.

Illness Benefit from the Department of Social Protection has its own certification process, usually handled directly between the Doctor and the Department. Employees should check the Citizens Information guidance on Illness Benefit for current requirements.

• Set out in your sick leave policy when a certificate is required and how it should be submitted.
• Treat certificates from online and in-person consultations consistently.
• Respect privacy: a certificate states fitness for work, not a diagnosis you are entitled to know.
• Seek employment law advice for disputes or long-term absence.

ViscaCare members can speak to an online Doctor through our clinical partner Health Hero. How online Doctors work in Ireland.