GP Sick Note

[VicR]

Hi,

I have recently had an operation which my employer does not know about. I have taken annual leave from work but I am due to go back tomorrow but not fit enough! If i go to my GP for a sick note is my GP required to put op details on sick note or can they put something else so my employer does not find out?

[Hymie]

From what you say � tomorrow is your first day off sick � you only need a doctors note once you have taken in excess of 5 continuous work days off sick.

Assuming that you don�t work over the weekend, you will need to present a doctors sick note from (including) the 4th of March, should you still be off work by then.

Just phone in sick tomorrow (your 1st day).

[cruella]

Just curious Hymie
I was told last week by my Line Manager that it was 7 days self certification.
I also checked on the net today and it said the same.
Can you confirm it to be 5 or 7 days.
thanks

[Hymie]

When I started work many years ago (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth), once you had taken more than 2 consecutive working days off sick, you needed a doctors sick note.

Sometime around 1980, this was extended to 5 days � many people incorrectly take this to be 7 days, because to those of us working a normal 5 day week (Sat & Sun off), this translates to 7 days. But if you happen to be doing a job that requires you to work 6 straight days, then on the 6th day, you will need a sick note.

Others may be able to confirm what I say to be correct.

[badboy78]

ive been told recently that 5 days is 'just a guideline' and that they can still demand a sicknote after two days.........

[cruella]

Hymie
I am off sick at the moment. First time in 14 years. Never had a day off.
My first sick day was Saturday past.
I have to go back to the hospital on Wednesday for biopsy results, so still off work at the moment.
I work on a two week rota Seven days one week and three the next.
If I was off work Thursday and Friday, would I need a certificate from my GP.
I checked with my Line Manager last week and she said 7 days self cert. So confused now.

[toby99]

They can put 'post op recovery' on your sick notes. I think you can self-cert for the first seven days, by completing a form from the GP yourself, after that you need a doctors sick note. Can they know you had an operation without the detail? if not, speak to your GP they will always help and will be able to put something down that you are happy with.

[Hymie]

You only count your actual work days, in the count up to 5 days self certified.

Lets say you work one full week on (starting on a Saturday) with 4 days off, then one full week on � and so on.
If you were to go off sick on the starting Saturday, then you would need to present a doctors note on the Thursday (being your 6th sick day).

However if you were to go sick on the Thursday (as your first sick day) � then by the end of your 1st week, you would have had 2 days sick, you are now off work for 4 days (returning on Wednesday). In this situation, you would not need to present a doctors sick note until the following Saturday � your 6th consecutive working day off work.

Hopefully this explains things better?

[pink-kittens]

According to it is dwp.gov.uk it is 7 days and this is to include weekends whether you work them or not

And I quote "But your employer cannot ask you to provide a sick note, for the first 7 days that you are sick."

HTH
PK x

[Twenty20]

It's seven days, as pink-kittens says. The employer can request a certificate within that time but they would have to pay for it so most don't.