Questions and answers
First notify your immediate manager by telephone or via another method as early as possible on the first day of your absence. You should provide your manager with the following information:
- The nature of your illness or injury;
- The expected approximate length of absence from work;
- Your contact details;
- Whether the absence may be due to an injury at work or is otherwise perceived to be related to work; and
- Details about any outstanding or urgent work that requires attention in your absence.
If the absence is up to and including seven calendar days, you will need to complete a self-certification form (form CHRIS/62) on your return to work. If it is more than seven days, you will need to obtain a Statement of Fitness for Work (or 'Fit Note') from your doctor and send it to your manager.
If you cannot reach your manager you should try to contact another manager in your department. If you fail to notify your manager and do not have a valid reason for not doing so, it may be treated as unauthorised absence and may be dealt with under the relevant disciplinary procedure.
Yes. In this procedure, the terms medical certificate, fit note and doctor’s certificate are used interchangeably to refer to formal written confirmation from a registered medical practitioner about an employee’s fitness for work.
The current UK standard document is the “Statement of Fitness for Work” commonly known as ‘fit note’ or form 3, but some colleagues and managers may still use more general terms such as medical certificate or doctor’s certificate.
For clarity, all of these terms should be understood as meaning a ‘fit note’ if in the UK or if abroad valid medical evidence issued by a healthcare professional confirming whether an individual is fit for work, may be fit with adjustments, or is not fit for work.
Wherever possible, your manager will agree to a reasonable request to attend a medical appointment e.g. a dental appointment and you will not normally have to make up the time taken. However, you should make every effort to schedule appointments outside of your working hours where possible. If this is not possible, you should try to schedule the appointments for the beginning or end of the working day.
If you have a health condition that requires ongoing treatment, you should discuss this with your manager as early as possible. Wherever possible, time off to attend the appointments will be accommodated. However, you may need to provide appointment cards or equivalent.
That depends on how long you are absent and the number of years you have been employed by the University. Entitlement to sick pay is calculated on the first half-day of each absence, taking into account any earlier absences in the 365 days immediately prior to that date. The Health and Attendance Policy provides detailed information about contractual rates of pay during absence due to sickness.
Your Department will be in touch with you if it is necessary to reduce your pay during your absence.
Yes, your contractual annual leave entitlement accrues as normal during periods of sick leave.
For a medically certificated sickness, which prevents you from carrying out your holiday plans, you would normally be able to arrange to take the annual leave at another time.
If you fall ill whilst on annual leave you should report the sickness to your manager as soon as possible even if abroad. See the 'Sickness and annual leave' section of the Health and Attendance Procedure
Yes. If your manager agrees, you can take annual leave during a period of sickness absence. For example, employees on long-term sick leave may request to take annual leave as a way to avoid or delay the impact of moving onto half-pay or nil-pay. However, there is no requirement for you to use your annual leave whilst you are signed off sick.
Yes, provided that where you plan to go on holiday and what you will be doing on holiday is not inconsistent with the reasons you have stated for your absence. However, your sick pay may be withheld if we discover that you are undertaking activities that should not be possible given the stated reasons for your sickness absence. For example, if you went on a rock climbing holiday while off work with back pain. You are expected to make yourself available for scheduled meetings to discuss your sickness absence so if you do plan to go on holiday whilst off sick then you should inform your manager.
Yes, do keep in touch with your manager on a regular basis so that s/he knows when to expect you back and so that you can discuss any measures that could facilitate your return to work e.g. amended duties or workplace adaptations. You should therefore make sure s/he has an up-to-date contact address and telephone number for you. Contact will usually be by telephone, though for longer periods of absence it may be helpful to arrange a meeting with your manager at a mutually agreed location.
Let your department know when to expect you back. Where your absence has been medically certified your doctor will either state the period of time that you will be absent from work, or indicate that you may be fit for work and suggest measures that could assist your return. Suggested measures may include a phased return, a temporary reduction in hours, amended duties or workplace adaptations.
Your department will discuss your return to work with you either on or prior to your return, including any measures suggested by your doctor. If your doctor has suggested measures then your manager will likely refer you to the University's Occupational Health Service for specialist advice in relation to the impact of your health condition on your ability to do your job. This may take place before your return to work.
If you have been absent from work for a long time or are regularly absent from work due to ill-health then your manager may consider referring you to the Occupational Health Service, often referred to as OH. The Occupational Health Service can provide specific advice regarding your fitness for work and the impact of any health problem you might have on your ability to do your job, as well as any support or measures that may help you return to work or improve your levels of attendance.
If your manager is considering referring you to the Occupational Health Service, s/he will discuss this with you before making a referral.
First of all make sure that an accident report form has been completed and sent to the Safety Office. Your department may do this on your behalf. You should also be referred to the University's Occupational Health Service at an early stage to assess the impact of your injury on your ability to carry out your duties.
If you are absent from work due to illness unrelated to your pregnancy you can remain on sick leave until you start maternity leave on the date previously requested.
However, if you are on sick leave due to pregnancy-related illness at the beginning of the 4th week before the expected week of childbirth you will commence maternity leave at that date and will transfer from sick pay to maternity pay. If you become sick with a pregnancy-related illness after the beginning of the 4th week before the expected week of childbirth your maternity leave will commence on the first day of illness. For further information, please read the University's Maternity Policy or contact HR for advice.