Can a Georgia employer require a doctor's note? Generally yes. No federal or Georgia law prohibits it, and Georgia has no law requiring employers to provide sick leave, so whether you need a note is set by your employer's policy. Your employer's policy decides what documentation it accepts.
Georgia has no statewide law requiring employers to provide paid sick leave. It does have the Family Care Act, which requires employers that already offer paid sick leave to let employees use up to five days a year of that earned leave to care for an immediate family member — but it does not require any employer to provide sick leave in the first place. State law also bars local benefit mandates, so rules are uniform statewide, and employers may ask for a reasonable doctor's note under their own policy.
How sick leave works in Georgia
Georgia does not require employers to provide paid sick leave. The Georgia Department of Labor states plainly that neither federal nor state law requires an employer to provide vacation, sick, or personal leave. Paid time off for illness is therefore a matter of employer policy or contract. Employers with 50 or more employees may still be subject to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for unpaid, job-protected leave.
Georgia does have a Family Care Act (O.C.G.A. § 34-1-10). It requires an employer that already provides paid sick leave to allow an employee to use up to five days of that earned leave per year to care for an immediate family member. Importantly, it does not require any employer to provide sick leave at all — it only governs how already-provided leave may be used. It applies to employers with 25 or more employees and to employees who work at least 30 hours per week. State law also bars local governments from imposing their own benefit mandates, so no Georgia city or county has its own sick-leave ordinance.
When a doctor’s note can be required
Georgia leaves this to the employer, since no state law sets a documentation standard. A policy like that typically calls for a note from a licensed physician that lists the dates of the absence without naming the diagnosis.
This is general information, not legal advice; check anything time-sensitive with the state agency or an employment lawyer.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia require paid sick leave?
What is the Georgia Family Care Act?
Can my employer ask for a note for one sick day?
This is general information about Georgia rules, not legal advice. Laws change; verify current requirements with the linked primary sources or an employment attorney.