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.
Find out more about sick notes on the NHS website.
If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days
If you have been ill for more than 7 days you will need a doctor’s certificate. These certificates are called ‘Fitness To Work’ Certificates. The doctor may call you or arrange for an appointment. If you have already been seen by your doctor about this illness your certificate will be sent to you within a week.