Fitness for work policy template
A free, ready-to-edit fitness for work policy template for Australian workplaces. Set clear standards for arriving fit to perform duties safely — covering alcohol and drugs, fatigue, medication and medical conditions — and give managers a fair process for standing down unfit workers. No signup required.
Fitness for work policy
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By downloading, you agree to our template disclaimer
This fitness for work policy template reflects Australian work health and safety standards at the time of publication and is provided as a general guide to adapt for your business. Drug and alcohol testing carries specific legal requirements — seek independent legal advice before introducing testing in your workplace. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Why your workplace needs a fitness for work policy
Under work health and safety (WHS) law, employers have a primary duty to ensure the health and safety of workers so far as is reasonably practicable. That includes making sure people are not impaired — by alcohol, drugs, fatigue, medication or illness — when they perform safety-sensitive work. A fitness for work policy is the framework that turns that duty into clear, consistent practice.
A worker is fit for work when they are in a physical, mental and emotional state that lets them carry out their duties safely and competently. An impaired worker is a risk to themselves and to everyone around them. A documented policy sets expectations before an incident happens, tells employees what to self-report, and gives managers a fair, defensible process to follow when a concern arises. It pairs naturally with your alcohol & drug policy and fatigue management policy.
The policy applies to all employees, contractors, labour-hire workers and volunteers, on site and at any work-related activity. Store it and capture acknowledgements in your HR software so you can show every worker has read and understood what fitness for work means in your business.
What a fitness for work policy should cover
The core elements of a fit-for-duty framework
Fitness standards
Clear expectations that workers arrive and stay fit to perform their duties safely.
Alcohol & drugs
Limits or zero-tolerance, and when and how testing may apply.
Fatigue
Managing long hours, shift work and rest so tiredness doesn't impair safety.
Medication & illness
Reporting prescription or over-the-counter medication and health conditions that affect work.
Self-reporting
When and how workers must declare they may be unfit for work.
Stand down & support
Removing unfit workers safely and the support available to them.
What's included in this template
A complete fitness for work framework, ready to adapt
Purpose & scope
Why the policy exists and who and when it applies to.
Fitness for work defined
What it means to be physically, mentally and emotionally fit to work safely.
Impairment factors
Alcohol, drugs, fatigue, medication, illness and psychological conditions.
Employee obligations
Arriving fit, self-reporting concerns and following safety directions.
Manager responsibilities
Recognising, assessing and responding to fitness concerns fairly.
Assessment procedures
How concerns are assessed, documented and escalated.
Testing procedures
When and how any alcohol or drug testing occurs, where used.
Stand down process
Removing an unfit worker from duties safely and respectfully.
Return to work
Clearances and requirements for resuming duties after a concern.
Support & review
EAP and other assistance, plus policy review and acknowledgement.
Managing a fitness for work concern fairly
A clear, consistent process protects your people and your business
Testing has strict legal requirements
Alcohol and drug testing must be reasonable, proportionate and procedurally fair. Consult workers and health and safety representatives, set out the method (for example saliva or urine), and get independent advice before you introduce testing. A test result is one input — not an automatic outcome.
Support workers, don't just discipline
Fatigue, medication, illness, stress and substance issues are often health matters, not misconduct. Offer confidential support such as an EAP, consider modified duties, and only use a disciplinary process where conduct — not a health condition — is the problem.
Responding to a fitness for work concern
Identify
A manager or co-worker observes signs a worker may be unfit for duty.
Assess
Speak with the worker privately and document the specific concern.
Stand down
If there's a safety risk, remove the worker from duties safely.
Return to work
Confirm fitness and any clearance before normal duties resume.
Every step should be documented, confidential and consistent. Where fatigue is the recurring cause, address rostering with a fatigue management policy; where injury or illness is involved, follow a structured return-to-work process.
Fitness for work is a shared responsibility: workers must arrive fit and self-report, and the employer must provide safe systems of work and appropriate support. Australian regulators including Safe Work Australia and your state or territory WHS regulator publish guidance on managing impairment, fatigue and drug and alcohol risks — use it to keep your policy current and defensible.
Who should use this template?
Essential wherever impairment creates a safety risk
Most important in safety-sensitive roles — operating machinery, driving, working at heights or caring for vulnerable people.
Compliance resources
Official guidance on managing fitness for work and impairment.
Manage your policies the easy way
RosterElf helps Australian businesses store policies, capture employee acknowledgements at onboarding and keep an audit trail — all in one place.
Related guides
Put your fitness for work policy into practice
Related templates
Build a complete safety and compliance framework
Fitness for work policy FAQ
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A fitness for work policy sets out an employer’s requirements and procedures for ensuring workers are physically, mentally and emotionally capable of performing their duties safely. It typically covers alcohol and drugs, fatigue, medication, and medical or psychological conditions, along with everyone’s responsibilities and the steps for managing a worker who may be unfit. It supports an employer’s WHS duty to provide a safe workplace.
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The most common factors that can make a worker unfit for duty are alcohol, illegal and certain prescription or over-the-counter drugs, fatigue from long hours or poor sleep, illness or injury, and emotional or psychological conditions such as stress. Any of these can reduce a person’s ability to work safely, which is why the policy asks workers to self-report when affected.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.