A doctor's excuse is that little note that the doctor gives you to exempt you from showing up at work or school. It can vary from a handwritten note to a computer-generated one. While it may not say very much, it is a very important piece of paper as it has the power to get you out of work or school without you being penalized for it.

For example, you may have put your back out when you moved the sofa last night. All you really need is a day or two in bed and you'll be better in no time. But if you simply stayed home without calling your employer to inform him of your condition, you could be in a whole lot of trouble. Some organizations even stipulate that if you are missing from work for a certain number of days without informing your employers and without having valid medical certification for your absence, you could very well be fired.

A valid doctor's excuse must feature the name of the doctor or clinic, the address and telephone number as well as other contact details. Apart from this, it will also feature your name, reference and identification numbers, as well as the date and time of your visit. Most people do not realize this, but it is very important that the doctor or nurse in attendance record the time of your visit. Why? Because technically, when you take sick leave, you should visit the doctor within working hours. Otherwise, how could you call in sick when you didn't really have a doctor's excuse yet?

And that's not all. Let's say you have a tummy ache. It isn't serious but you intend to visit the doctor. You call your employer to tell him you'll be in a little late. When you show up for work later on in the day, you are expected to have proof that you did visit the doctor's office. How? By producing a time sheet which records the time you arrived at the physician's clinic and the time you were done. Hence, if the time sheet shows that you were at the doctor's from 9am to 11am, yet you only made it to work at 2pm, then legally, your employer has the right to dock you for three hour's pay. So, if you are taking just the morning off to visit the doctor's even if it is only for your annual health screen, remember to get either a time sheet or a doctor's excuse that specifies the time of your visit. And be sure to head back to work as soon as you're done.

As you can see getting a doctor's excuse to explain your day away from work or school is really very important. While you may think that all that effort to obtain one is just too much, think about the repercussions of not having one when you do get back to work. You'll be surprised how many people lose their livelihoods simply because they failed to simply produce a doctor's excuse.