If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days
If your illness does last more than 7 days, your employer might ask you for evidence. This will be what is known as a fit note, previously referred to as sick notes.
To request a sick note:
- a GP or another doctor
- a registered nurse
- a pharmacist
- an occupational therapist
- a physiotherapist
A fit note will either say:
- not fit for work
- might be fit for work – recommendations of the type of work you may be able to do may be included on the note.
If you require a fit note, you will need to speak to a clinician.
If you require a continuation of an existing fit note, this can be requested using our ‘contact us online‘ service.
If you’ve been off sick for 7 days or less
If you’re off work sick for 7 days or less, your employer should not ask for medical evidence that you’ve been ill. Instead, they can ask you to confirm that you’ve been ill. You can do this by filling in a form yourself when you return to work. We call this self-certification.
Employee’s statement of sickness to claim Statutory Sick Pay – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Find out more about sick notes on the NHS website.