Self-certification

Use the employee's statement for the first seven days

For the first seven calendar days of sickness, an employee can confirm their own absence. An employer should not require a fit note during that period. Self-certification is evidence of sickness; it does not replace the workplace rule for reporting that the person will not be in.

You can use your own form or ask for the information another clear way. HMRC also publishes an employee statement of sickness form. Record the employee's name, the first and last day of sickness, the days they could not work and the date they made the statement.

Count calendar days, including days off

The seven-day period includes weekends, bank holidays and other days the employee was not scheduled to work. Count from the first day of the continuous sickness, not from the first shift missed.

Do not restart the count on Monday or ask for a doctor's letter simply because payroll closes before the seventh day. Keep the absence dates clear and hand over to a fit note only if the sickness lasts longer.

Keep reporting and evidence separate

Your policy can say when and how an employee should report sick, who they should contact and when updates are expected. Those reasonable reporting steps are separate from the legal evidence boundary.

Store the self-certification with the absence record and restrict access to people handling absence or pay. Ask for a broad reason, not a medical history. The aim is a reliable record for a short absence, not proof assembled at the employee's expense.