Time off for sickness | Acas

Workers should take time off sick when they need it. They should follow the right steps to tell their employer.

Employers should make sure workers take enough time to recover fully. This will help protect their health and other workers.

Advice

Sick leave

What to do when a worker is off sick. When an employer can send a worker home.

Fit notes when off sick

How and when to get a fit note for sickness absence. When a worker can self-certify.

Getting a doctor's report about a worker's health

When an employer might ask for a report from a worker's doctor and how to do this.

Time off for medical appointments

What to do if a worker needs time off for a doctor, dentist or hospital appointment.

Covid and work

What to do if a worker has covid. Policies on self-isolation.

Managing sickness absence

How an employer can record and reduce sickness absence.

Templates

Letter to a worker's doctor

Asking a worker's doctor about their fitness for work.

Letter to a worker asking for permission for a doctor's report

Asking for a worker's permission to approach their doctor for health information.

Consent for a doctor's report form template

A consent form for an employer to ask for a worker's permission to approach their doctor for health information.

Email address

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