Self-certification

If you have been off work sick for 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.

Many employers have their own self-certification forms. If your employer doesn’t have their own form, instead they may use an Employee’s Statement of Sickness form. This form is available at Reception or it can be downloaded HERE

If your employer insists on a doctor’s statement for the first seven days of sickness then we will refer them to the Statutory Sick Pay Manual for Employers – National Insurance Contributions, Series CA30, Paragraph 28, which states “you (the employer) cannot ask for a doctor’s statement for the first seven days or less of a spell of sickness”.

The purpose of this regulation is to avoid the necessity of employees with minor, self-limiting illnesses or injury to use Practice appointments for the sole purpose of obtaining a medical certificate.

If an employer has reason to inquire about a spell of sickness, then they should write to the doctor, including written permission from the employee concerned and a report may then be issued. A charge will be made for such a report.

Fit notes (MED 3)

If you have been off work sick for more than seven days you will need to get a Statement of Fitness to Work (fit note) from your GP or the Doctor that treated you in the hospital.

The fit note allows your Doctor to provide you with more information on how your condition affects your ability to work. It may suggest ways in which you can return to work, for example, changes to your working hours or different duties for a temporary time. This will help your employer to understand how they might be able to help you return to work sooner. You and your employer will be able to talk about how this will benefit your return to work.

If you require a fit note please telephone the Practice on 01236 422311 (select OPTION 1)  between 08:30 and 10:45 or 14:30 and 17:00. This form can be issued over the phone by the Duty Doctor and left at Reception for you to collect at your convenience.  However during the pandemic, we would rather post or e-mail this to you rather than collecting from the Practice.