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If an employee cannot make it into work, they are expected to inform their employer or manager no later than an hour before they are due to start. Twenty-four hours notice is far preferable for most employers, but obviously not always possible. When informing their manager that they are ill, an employee should be prepared to explain the nature of their illness and give an estimation for the amount of time they will need to take off work. For taking up to seven days off work, an employer can request that the employee confirm their illness, often by filling in a form when they return to work. For periods of time longer than seven days, the employer can request that the employee provide a statement from their doctor to confirm their illness – a Statement of Fitness to Work note. At the doctor’s discretion, the employee should be willing to make changes to their role to allow them to return to work sooner than they may otherwise be able to.

For their own security, employers are recommended to keep a record of the number of days each employee takes off for sickness. It is also advisable for employers to scrutinise these sick days for any patterns in sick days that might either be related to alternative reasons for time being taken off work, or causes that the employer may be able to help with. Sickness frequently occurring after five consecutive late shifts, for example, may be an indication that a change in working pattern may be beneficial. Frequent Saturday morning sickness, on the other hand, may be due to the employee’s lifestyle.