Sick (fit) notes

If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days

To request a sick note:

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.

Please note: Requests for sick notes to be issued prior to seven days of self certification are chargeable at a fee of £20.00

Date published: 8th October, 2014
Date last updated: 26th June, 2025