Fit notes are issued to patients by doctors following an assessment of their fitness for work. A fit note is issued after the first seven days of sickness absence (when patients can self-certify) if the doctor assesses that the patient’s health affects their fitness for work.
The doctor can decide the patient is ‘unfit for work’ or ‘may be fit for work subject to the following advice…’ with accompanying notes on suggested adjustments or adaptations to the job role or workplace.
If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days
To request a sick note:
- Fill out a sick note request form
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.
