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Sick (Fit) Notes
Learn how to request a sickness certificate
Request a sick (fit) note
If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days
If you are sick and off work for more than seven days, your employer will normally ask you to provide a medical certificate from your GP. When you need a certificate 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 a 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
Charges for sick (fit) notes
There is usually no charge for providing a fit note if you are off sick for more than seven days. Some employers may request a fit note (e.g. from employees who repeatedly take time off sick) even if they are off work for seven days or less. This is a private non-NHS medical certificate. For sickness of seven days or less, a charge of £40 is payable in order for us to provide a certificate.
Obtaining a further sick (fit) note
If your certificate runs out, but you are still sick, you will need to request another certificate. Fit certificates can be back-dated, so it is not necessary to make an emergency appointment to renew your certificate.