Doctor's Note for Amazon: Does HR Accept It?

Adam Z. Kawalek, MD

Published April 6, 2026 · Updated July 2, 2026 · 5 min read

If you work at an Amazon warehouse, delivery station, or fulfillment center, you already know the attendance policy is strict. Points add up fast, your UPT bucket drains, and an unexcused absence can put your job at risk. A doctor's note is your protection — but getting one shouldn't cost you a full day's pay and a $200 urgent care bill.

(UPT already at zero? Start with our step-by-step playbook: sick at Amazon with no UPT — what to do tonight.)

What Amazon actually requires

Amazon's attendance policy uses a point-based system tracked through ADAPT. Unexcused absences cost you points; excused absences — backed by documentation from a licensed healthcare provider — do not. For most shorter absences, that documentation just needs to come from a licensed physician, include the dates of absence, and confirm you were unable to work. That covers most short absences — but a DLS case asks for more (below).

Amazon doesn't require that you physically visited a doctor, and it doesn't distinguish in-person from telehealth — an online note counts. For a short absence, the note just needs to be real, signed by a licensed physician, and cover the dates you missed. The diagnosis is where it gets more nuanced: a manager may not ask for one on a quick note, but once your case is routed to DLS, the E103 form requires the physician to state a medical reason — and a note that leaves it blank often gets rejected. This is exactly where many online note services fall short: they refuse to put any diagnosis on the form. A SickSlip note includes a diagnosis line worded to meet Amazon's requirement without disclosing your specific illness (more on the E103 below).

For absences running longer than a few days — or if your case gets routed to Amazon's Disability & Leave Services (DLS), administered through WorkCare — the documentation has to come on Amazon's own forms: the E103 Health Care Provider Form and the E117 Authorization to Obtain and Disclose Information. More on that below.

Why urgent care is a bad deal for hourly workers

Here's the math. You're making $17-21/hour at Amazon. An urgent care visit costs $150-250 without insurance. The visit takes 2-3 hours including drive time and waiting. That's $200 for the visit plus $40-60 in lost wages for the time you spent there. You're now $250+ poorer just to get a piece of paper saying you had the flu — something you already knew.

A telehealth doctor's note costs $29.99 and takes 2 minutes from your phone. A physician licensed in your state reviews your symptoms and signs your note. You get it in your email. Same legal weight. Same physician signature. Same NPI number your HR department can verify.

Will Amazon HR actually accept an online doctor's note?

Yes. Amazon's policy requires documentation from a licensed healthcare provider. Telehealth has been recognized as legally equivalent to in-person care across all 50 states since 2020. A note signed by a board-certified physician with a verifiable state medical license and NPI number is a legitimate medical document — regardless of whether the consultation happened in person or online.

Every SickSlip note includes a QR code that your HR department can scan to instantly verify authenticity. No phone tag, no fax machines. One scan, verified on the spot.

When Amazon DLS gets involved

If your absence runs more than a few days, or you're requesting an accommodation, Amazon may route your case to Disability & Leave Services (DLS). You'll get an email from amazondls@amazon.com asking for two specific forms — usually within 5–7 days of the case opening.

E103 — Health Care Provider Form. Documents the medical reason for your absence and your expected return-to-work date. Must be completed by a licensed physician. Section A asks the provider to categorize the condition; for most short-term acute illnesses (cold, flu, stomach bug, migraine) the right answer is “Other — acute self-limiting illness, not FMLA-qualifying.” That keeps the absence credited under Amazon's company-leave-options policy without overclaiming a serious health condition.

E117 — Authorization to Obtain and Disclose Information. Optional but recommended. It lets DLS contact your provider directly with follow-up questions instead of bouncing every clarification request back through you. Without it, each round trip can take 3–5 days — and during that time, points and UPT are still ticking.

Both forms get uploaded through the DLS Portal at dls.idp.amazon-corp.com, faxed to 1-855-579-1799, or emailed to amazondls@amazon.com. SickSlip's Amazon DLS service handles all three documents in one $39 bundle — your standard SickSlip note plus the completed E103 and E117 — so you submit once and the case closes faster, no follow-up loops, no UPT lost waiting for clarifications.

How to submit your note at Amazon

For shorter absences without a DLS case, upload your note through the AtoZ app under Leave & Absence, hand it to your Process Assistant (PA) or manager, or submit it directly to your site's HR office. Make sure the note includes your name, the dates of absence, and the physician's signature. SickSlip notes include all of this plus the QR verification code.

If your case has been routed to DLS, upload through MyHR's DLS Portal at dls.idp.amazon-corp.com instead — that ties the documentation directly to your existing case file.

If your absence was 3+ days, submit the note as soon as possible — ideally within 24 hours of returning to work. The sooner you submit, the sooner those points get removed.

Bottom line

You work hard. You got sick. That shouldn't cost you your job or a $250 urgent care bill. Get a legitimate doctor's note from your phone, submit it to HR, and move on.

Not at Amazon? We've got employer-specific guides for other major retailers too — see our guide for Target team members if that's where you work.

And if you're comparing note services before you commit, our physician-authored buyer's guide to online doctor's note services puts the legitimate options side by side — pricing, delivery speed, verification, and the red flags to avoid.

Frequently asked questions

Adam Z. Kawalek, MD

Board-Certified Physician · Founder, SickSlip · Cedars-Sinai · Johns Hopkins

Dr. Kawalek is a hospitalist physician with 15+ years of clinical experience. He founded SickSlip to give patients fast, affordable access to legitimate medical documentation without unnecessary clinical barriers.