The self certification sick note explained
A self certification sick note covers the first seven calendar days of sickness, weekends and bank holidays included, and needs no medical evidence (Acas). From day eight, a fit note from a registered healthcare professional is required instead (gov.uk). The seven-day window is a calendar count, not a count of working days, so a Monday absence reaches day eight on the following Monday.
The self certification sick note is the most common piece of sickness paperwork an employer handles, because the majority of absences are short. Getting the form right matters for paying statutory sick pay correctly and for keeping clean absence records.
This guide explains what a self certification sick note is, how the official SC2 form fits in, what information the form should and should not capture, and the point at which a fit note takes over.
Key takeaways
- Self certification covers the first seven calendar days of sickness, with no medical evidence required.
- The seven-day count includes weekends and non-working days, not just rostered days.
- Form SC2 is HMRC's standard self-certification form, but an employer may use its own version.
- From day eight, a fit note from a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist or occupational therapist is needed.
- Sickness records are special category data and must be held under UK GDPR.
What a self certification sick note is
A self certification sick note is the employee's own written confirmation that they were unfit for work, used for absences of seven calendar days or fewer. For short absences, the employee does not need to see a doctor or provide any medical proof (gov.uk). They simply tell the employer they were ill and, on return, confirm the dates and a general reason.
Employers usually ask for this confirmation when the employee returns to work, and the employer and employee agree in advance how it should be done (Acas). Some use a paper form, some a quick HR system entry, some a return-to-work conversation logged in writing.
The self certification sick note also underpins statutory sick pay. SSP is payable from the first day of sickness for every eligible employee following the 2026 SSP reform (Acas), and the self-certified record is the evidence that supports paying it for short absences. Most UK payroll software links the absence record to the SSP calculation so the two stay consistent.
How form SC2 works
Form SC2 is HMRC's standard self-certification form, the "Employee's Statement of Sickness". An employee can use it to ask the employer for statutory sick pay and to self-certify an absence of seven calendar days or fewer (gov.uk). It records the dates of absence, a general reason, and the employee's signed declaration.
There is no legal requirement to use SC2 specifically. An employer may design and use its own self certification form, provided it captures the same core information (gov.uk). The official form is simply a ready-made template that meets the standard.
The table below sets out what a self certification sick note should and should not contain.
| Should record | Should not request |
|---|---|
| First and last day of absence | Detailed diagnosis or medical history |
| A general reason for absence | Access to medical records |
| Whether any days were normal working days | Clinical notes or test results |
| The employee's signed declaration | Information beyond what payroll and absence management need |
A bureau managing absence records across many client schemes typically standardises this on one multi-client payroll dashboard so every employer captures the same fields in the same way.
When a fit note takes over
Once an absence passes seven calendar days, self certification ends and the employee must provide a fit note (gov.uk). The employee should hand the fit note to the employer on the seventh day of absence, or as soon as possible afterwards (Acas).
Fit notes are no longer issued by doctors alone. Since 1 July 2022, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists have also been able to certify them (gov.uk). A fit note states either that the person is "not fit for work" or "may be fit for work", the latter allowing a return with adjustments (gov.uk).
An employer cannot withhold SSP simply because a short absence was self-certified rather than backed by a fit note, since no medical evidence is required in the first seven days (gov.uk). The fit note requirement applies only from day eight onward.
Keeping self certification records correctly
Sickness records are not ordinary HR data. Health information is special category data under UK GDPR, so an employer needs a lawful basis to hold it and must limit what it collects to what managing pay and absence actually requires (Acas). A self certification form should therefore capture absence dates and a general reason, not a detailed account of symptoms.
Records should be kept securely and retained only as long as needed for payroll and absence management, a discipline that matters as much for a one-person company as for a large team running small business payroll. This matters because statutory sick pay records support the figures reported to HMRC through Real Time Information, and payroll platforms built on an HMRC-recognised payroll API keep the absence record and the SSP calculation tied together for audit. For a single occasional payslip, the Instant Payslip Generator reflects the statutory figures without a standing system.
Conclusion
The self certification sick note does a lot of quiet work. It lets an employee confirm a short illness without troubling a doctor, gives the employer the record it needs to pay statutory sick pay, and draws a clear line at seven calendar days where a fit note takes over. The mechanics are simple, but the calendar-day count and the data protection limits are the two points employers most often get wrong.
With sick pay now due from day one, the self-certified record carries more weight than it did before the reform, because it supports payment from the very first day of even the shortest absence. The employers who keep this paperwork tidy are the ones whose payroll and absence records still agree at year end.
Frequently asked questions
How many days can an employee self-certify sickness?
An employee can self-certify for up to seven calendar days, including weekends and bank holidays (Acas). No medical evidence is needed during this period. If the absence continues beyond the seventh calendar day, a fit note from a registered healthcare professional is required.
Is the SC2 form compulsory for self-certification?
No. Form SC2 is HMRC's standard template, but an employer can use its own self-certification form instead, as long as it records the same core details (gov.uk). The form needs the absence dates, a general reason and the employee's signed declaration. It should not ask for a detailed diagnosis.
Does a self-certified absence still qualify for statutory sick pay?
Yes. Statutory sick pay is payable from the first day of sickness for eligible employees, and a self-certified absence of seven days or fewer qualifies without a fit note (Acas). The self-certification record is the evidence that supports the payment. A fit note is only needed from day eight.
Who can issue a fit note from day eight?
A fit note can be issued by a doctor, nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist with the relevant training (gov.uk). The professionals beyond doctors were added from 1 July 2022. The note will say the person is either not fit for work or may be fit for work with adjustments.
