Introduction
Our eyes and ears are two of the most important senses that help us connect with the world around us. Unfortunately, infections can occur at any time and can be disruptive to our daily lives. For example, the symptoms of conjunctivitis (commonly called pink eye) include irritation, redness, and watery eyes, while an ear infection can cause pain, pressure, and even hearing loss. Both disorders can have a significant impact on our ability to work, and in some cases, they may be contagious to other people.
People working in Australia, especially public-facing employees, teachers, or those in safety-sensitive roles, cannot simply "power through" their illness. When your vision is blurred, it's not safe to drive; if your ear hurts, it will affect your balance and communication; and if you have a contagious eye infection, the whole office or school group can be infected very quickly. Therefore, it is always necessary to take leave in these situations.
To secure such leave, employers and schools typically require proof of illness. At Prime Medic, we provide access to telehealth consultations where a medical certificate may be issued, if clinically appropriate, to support work or school absence. Our doctors, who are registered with AHPRA, can conduct a video telehealth consultation to assess your symptoms and issue a medical certificate, where appropriate, to support time away from work while symptoms are assessed.
Do you require any medical certificate for an eye or ear infection? You may apply online for a certificate that will serve as documentation for your recovery time off.
Vision or Hearing Impairments that Compromise Safety
One thing that differentiates a sore throat from sensory infections is that the latter impair the senses that are necessary for most job functions. Visual and hearing impairments not only cause disruptions but also endanger workplace safety, for example, when an individual cannot see hazards or hear warning signs of approaching danger.
Vision Critical Roles
- Driving and Machinery: A person experiencing blurriness, photophobia, or excessive tearing may be advised to avoid driving or operating machinery. This is why a conjunctivitis work note is required for a forklift driver, a crane operator, or a deliveryman.
- Screen-Based Work: Today, office work often involves spending significant time at a computer screen. The discomfort caused by eye infections can become unbearable, thus limiting productivity.
- Detailed Tasks: To be an electrician, a surgeon, or a technician is to depend heavily on one's sense of sight. An eye infection is a sure way of compromising one's ability to do the work properly.
Hearing and Balance Impacts
- Communication: Sometimes an ear infection results in a temporary hearing loss or makes one's hearing "muffled". In this case, the inability to hear verbal warnings in a work environment (e.g., at a construction site) can be very dangerous.
- Balance and Vertigo: The inner ear provides vestibular control, which is responsible for human balance and stability. Infections of the inner ear's vestibular system may cause dizziness and vertigo, which not only impair workers but also pose a risk to employees who work at heights or stand for long periods.
- Pressure Sensitivity: Pilots or cabin crew experiencing ear infections may be advised to avoid flying due to pressure-related risks, as an eardrum rupture may occur during pressure changes.
Identifying these functional limitations early helps maintain a safe work environment. Getting a medical certificate is one of the ways the doctor communicates with you and your employer that you are temporarily unfit to carry out the duties that are hazardous for your recovery, as well as for others around you. Read more about workplace safety verification.
Requests for Employer Verification
Beyond employee safety, infection control is the primary reason employers require medical certificates for eye and ear infections. Conjunctivitis, especially, is highly contagious.
The "Chain of Transmission"
- Close Contact Roles: For example, child care, aged care, and school environments are where personal contact occurs most frequently. If a staff member has viral conjunctivitis, they can easily transmit it to children or residents several times over in just one day.
- Shared Equipment: In a call centre (where headsets are shared) or an office (where computers, keyboards, and phones are shared), microbes spread quickly.
- Food Handling: A hygiene violation occurs when food is handled with the same hands that have been used to touch the face or eyes.
Fair Work and Public Health
The employer's responsibility under work health and safety (WHS) law includes preventing the spread of infections by providing a safe workplace.
- Exclusion Periods: Workplace policies may require employees to stay away from work while they are still experiencing discharge or until they have recovered.
- Return Evidence: Employers often require a clearance certificate indicating that symptoms have improved or that return to work may be considered appropriate to verify that the employee has recovered sufficiently to be less infectious and can safely return to the workplace.
- Fair Work Rights: Staff members have the right to use their personal leave for the periods when they are contagious. Possessing a medical certificate is the best way to demonstrate that others have been kept safe and is acceptable evidence for the employer's request.
Knowing the workplace compliance rules is beneficial when initiating a discussion with one's manager. Check out our workplace compliance rules guide for more details.
Telehealth GP Evaluation for Absence
Many people believe that a physical exam and a swab test are required for every eye or ear issue. However, video telehealth is already an excellent option for obtaining medical certificates and scheduling an initial consultation.
The Visual Assessment
- High Definition Review: Today, smartphone cameras have excellent image quality, so a telehealth eye infection certificate consultation allows a doctor to visually assess signs such as redness, swelling, or discharge.
- Symptom History: The attending doctor will inquire about the intensity of pain, response to light, colour of discharge, and duration of symptoms.
- Functional Check: It evaluates whether a patient can keep their eyes open while working on the computer and whether their eyes are affected by the p
What Can Be Certified?
- Eye infections, such as conjunctivitis, assessed based on symptoms and visual signs, sties, or allergy.
- Ear Issues: Otitis externa (swimmer's ear) or middle ear infections (based on signs and symptoms, such as pain and history; even though the internal examination is not possible, the functional incapacity can be certified).
In case the doctor detects signs of a more severe eye problem, for example, a corneal ulcer or the presence of a foreign body, then they will direct you to an optometrist or an ED without delay. On the other hand, the doctor can assess your work capacity and issue a certificate stating that you can work remotely if your condition is typical, or that you need to take leave. Contact a GP online and start the process.
Return to Work After Treatment Notes for Public Interaction
In some instances, the "clearance" note turns out to be even more crucial than the sick note issued after the initial diagnosis, for example, in the situation of conjunctivitis. Educational institutions and daycare facilities adhere rigorously to the rules.
Validating Recovery
Audiovisual clearance certificates state the following:
- Non-Infectious Status: The employee has waited a sufficient time (e.g., 24 hours after starting drops) or their symptoms have sufficiently disappeared.
- Hygiene Safety: An employee can keep their hands clean and avoid scratching their face or eyes.
- Visual Acuity: One's eyesight is sufficient to drive or operate machinery.
Modified Duties
Sometimes, an employee cannot return to work immediately.
- No Contact: A teacher may return to school, but only for administrative duties and without student contact.
- Headset Restrictions: A call centre employee with an ear infection may have to be temporarily assigned to a non-headset role.
It is a transition safety note that streamlines embedding, which is what we do with return-to-work letters tailored to the needs of specific industries.
Support for Sudden Symptoms
The legend goes that no matter how bad an earache is during the day, it will worsen at night, and conversely, no one can deny the typical frightening morning moment when the eye is found to be glued shut.
Immediate Access
- Overnight Pain: If your ear infection prevents you from sleeping through the night, you will likely be unfit for work, not only because of pain but also due to fatigue.
- Morning Surprise: It is a challenge to practically and safely get to work or to a clinic when you have severe conjunctivitis right from the moment you wake up.
- Telehealth Convenience: The certificate support via telehealth allows you to consult a doctor before starting a day at work. Thus, a certificate of infection can be obtained without leaving your home. At the same time, the community is safeguarded from contagion and the risk of driving with blurred vision is avoided.
One benefit of this urgent documentation service is that you can notify your employer immediately.
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