Do I need a doctor's certificate?

Employers who are only paying SSP cannot ask for a doctor's certificate for the first 7 days of a spell of sickness. The 7 days include non-working days, such as weekends.

Employers are entitled to ask for evidence that you have been off sick. Typically, employers may rules such as:

• asking you to notify them on the first day of absence
• following this up by asking you to complete a self-certification form for spells of between 4 and 7 days.
• asking for a medical statement (now known as a Statement of Fitness for Work or “fit note", rather than a sick note) after 7 days' absence