Sick Notes

When do I need a fit note?

If you’re off work sick for more than 7 days, your employer will usually ask for a fit note (or Statement of Fitness for Work) from a healthcare professional. Fit notes are sometimes referred to as medical statements or a doctor’s note.

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. This is called self-certification. If your employer doesn’t have its own form, it may use an SC2 form from HM Revenue & Customs: Employee’s Statement of Sickness