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How long am I allowed to be ill before I need a doctor's note by law?

11 replies

hopefully · 13/03/2008 12:23

I'm hoping to get signed off work, but if my doctor is for some reason unwilling (I can't imagine he will be, but just in case...), how long am I allowed to be ill for before work can demand a doctor's note?

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MissingMyHeels · 13/03/2008 12:26

I think you self certify for five days and then require a doctors note.

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MissingMyHeels · 13/03/2008 12:28

SC2 (Employee self certification form)
Can be used by employees to certify themselves as sick for the first seven days of sickness for SSP purposes.

From HM Revenue & Customs website.

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dizzydixies · 13/03/2008 12:29

7days before note

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flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 12:52

7 calendar days, which usually means 5 working days for most people.

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flowerybeanbag · 13/03/2008 12:57

Oh, and unless and until a doctor's note is strictly necessary, your doctor may well charge for writing it. So unless you anticipate being signed of for a significant period, or have used up your self-cert entitlement, may not be worth asking the doctor yet anyway.

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hopefully · 13/03/2008 13:27

Oh, I'd forgotten about doctor's charging for sick notes! Thank for that.

It's looking increasingly like I'm going to need to be signed off for more than a week, so I'll see what the doc says tonight...

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MrsSchadenfreude · 13/03/2008 15:58

I have been off sick all week and finally dragged myself to the doc today to be diagnosed with bronchitis. I asked him for a sick note as the organisation I work for has recently changed its rules on self certified sick leave to a max of 6 working days per annum. He wrote me one signing me off until Monday, paused while he was doing it and asked me if I wanted him to make it the following Monday. Errr, no. I just want to be signed off for the period I am actually ill.

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Iota · 13/03/2008 16:00

perhaps he thought you might not be fit by Monday, MrS. Bronchitis can be very debilitating

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MrsSchadenfreude · 13/03/2008 17:05

Oh yes, you're right, Iota. I just found him a bit odd as he virtually diagnosed me from the doorway, but to be fair, he had probably been listening to me barking away in reception for the past ten minutes!

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kaa0901 · 15/03/2008 21:41

MrsS - your company cannot change the rules about self certification. it is the law. you can self-certify up to and including the seventh day but for day 8 and after you will require a GP's sick line. some companies will only pay sick pay after day 3 but they cant legally request a sick line until day 8

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flowerybeanbag · 15/03/2008 21:53

kaa0901 the laws about self-certification mentioned above relate to paying statutory sick pay. Lots of companies pay occupational sick pay over and above the basic SSP, and can specify that a doctor's note is required earlier if they wish, or put other rules around it or conditions on it.

I imagine that's what MrsS's company have done - they have changed the rules of their occupational sick pay scheme to reduce the length of a sickness period they are prepared to pay on a self-certified basis without a doctor's note.

Sorry to jump in, but I didn't want MrsS to go running to her employer saying they were not allowed to do this when in all likelihood they are.

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