Medical Certificate for Work
When do I need a Fit Note?
If you're off work sick for seven days or
less, your employer should not ask for medical
evidence that you've been ill.
If you're off work sick for more than seven
days, your employer will usually ask you to
provide proof that you've been ill. They will
normally ask for a fit note from your GP. Fit
notes may also be called medical statements or a
doctor's note.
The seven days includes days that you don't
normally work. When you work out how long you've
been off sick, you should include weekends and
bank holidays.
Sickness of seven days or less
Your employer 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. This is
called self-certification.
Self-certification forms
Self-certification forms usually include
details such as:
- information about your sickness or
illness
- the date your sickness started
- the date your sickness ended
These dates may be days that you don't
normally work. For example, your sickness could
start or end on a Saturday, Sunday or bank
holiday.
Many employers have their own
self-certification forms. If your employer
doesn't have its own form, it may use an SC2
form from HM Revenue & Customs instead:
Employee's Statement of Sickness.
Sickness of more than seven days
If you're sick and off work for more than
seven days, your employer will probably ask for
proof of your illness. Most employers ask for a
fit note from your GP.
However, this will also depend on your
employer's company policy on sick leave (or
sickness absence). This policy should tell you
how many days you can be off sick before you
need to provide proof of illness or a fit note.
Fit notes and how to get one
A fit note must be signed by a doctor, such
as your GP. Your doctor will assess you, and if
he or she decides that your health affects your
fitness for work, they can issue a fit note and
advise that:
- you are "not fit for work"
- you "may be fit for work taking into
account the following advice"
If you need a fit note, contact the surgery,
our receptionists may advise you to make an
appointment or book a telephone consultation. If
you are asking for a fit note to follow on from
a previous episode we may not need to see you in
person.
If you're under the care of a hospital, your
fit note may be issued by the hospital rather
than your GP. If a hospital issues your fit
note, it will always be a double-sided A5
handwritten fit note.
We do not charge for providing a fit note if
you're off sick from work for more than seven
days.
Charges for fit notes
Some employers may request a fit note from
employees who repeatedly take time off sick, for
example, even if each time they're off work it's
for seven days or fewer.
For sickness of seven days or fewer, your GP
practice may charge you to provide a fit note.
The current charge for this service is £10.
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