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New Rules For Brits Calling In Sick Start Today

Home> News

Published 10:49 1 Jul 2022 GMT+1

New Rules For Brits Calling In Sick Start Today

The UK government has introduced new rules surrounding sick leave.

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

Featured Image Credit: Alamy/ Shutterstock

Topics: UK News, Health, NHS

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

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The UK Government has introduced new rules surrounding sick leave.

Gone are the days where you have to fight for the stretched time of a GP while battling a pounding migraine or throwing up every 10 seconds in a desperate bid to get a sick note to send to work.

The government has relaxed its rules around taking sick leave in a bid to relieve pressure off not only employees but also the NHS.

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The new rules come into action today (1 July).

The UK Government is relaxing its rules around sick leave as of today.
Alamy

As per its website, under 'Taking sick leave,' the government has revealed you can now also get a sick note from a pharmacist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, registered nurse or hospital doctor.

"The healthcare professional needs to assess the employee’s fitness for work before giving a fit note," it continues.

If you've been ill for over seven days when you ask for a sick note, then it should be given to you for free. However, if you've been ill for seven days or less you may be charged by the healthcare professional.

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If an employee can't get a sick note, an Allied Health Professional (AHP) Health and Work Report can be given to your employer too.

Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and podiatrists have the ability to hand out this sort of documentation.

Employees now won't need a sick note from their GP if off work for seven days or less.
Alamy

One rule which remains is that employees 'do not need to give their employer a fit note or other proof of sickness from a healthcare professional' if off work for seven days or less.

You can just state you're sick via 'self-certification'.

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"The employer and employee will agree on how the employee should do this. They might need to fill in a form or send details of their sick leave by email," the website continues.

The government states that the employee must keep the original note and give a copy to their employer.

If an employee is sick because of coronavirus they can go online and get the NHS 111 to provide them with an 'isolation note'.

"They do not have to go to their GP or a hospital," it states.

If an employee has coronavirus, they can get a note online from NHS 111 rather than going to a GP or hospital.
Alamy

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Employees only need to give their employer a 'fit note' (a.k.a. 'sick note) 'if they've been ill for more than seven days in a row and have taken sick leave'.

"This includes non-working days, such as weekends and bank holidays," it notes.

It continues: "The fit note will say the employee is either ‘not fit for work’ or ‘may be fit for work’.

"If it says the employee ‘may be fit for work’, employers should discuss any changes that might help the employee return to work (for example, different hours or tasks).

"The employee must be treated as ‘not fit for work’ if there’s no agreement on these changes."

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As well as the GP, you can also get a sick note from a pharmacist.
Alamy

The government hopes in widening the range of healthcare professionals who can give out sick notes that doctors will able achieve an additional 50 million GP appointments a year by 2024.

The NHS app is also set to undergo improvements to make it quicker and easier for patients to chat with GPs online and manage their own records and appointments.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Slashing unnecessary bureaucracy is key to ensuring more patients can see their GP quickly and get the care they need as we bust the Covid backlogs."

If you’ve been affected by coronavirus and want up to date advice, visit the Gov.uk help page here. If you need medical help call NHS 111 or visit online 

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