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

To request a sick note book an appointment with a doctor. If you need a private certificate there will be a standard charge to provide it.

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 (SC1) yourself when you return to work. We call this self-certification.

Find out more about sick notes on the NHS website.