Fit Note

LiamC8888

Hi guys,

I've recently been signed off work by my doctor due to health issues. The date was from 05/01 to the 12/01. Out of curiosity when would I technical have to be back at work? My employer is adamant I should be back on 12/01 however my doctor and the government website shows the fit note would expire on the 13/01 onwards. Does anyone have a definitive answer?

Thanks in advance

Poppie68

LiamC8888 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I've recently been signed off work by my doctor due to health issues. The date was from 05/01 to the 12/01. Out of curiosity when would I technical have to be back at work? My employer is adamant I should be back on 12/01 however my doctor and the government website shows the fit note would expire on the 13/01 onwards. Does anyone have a definitive answer?

Thanks in advance

Your last day of sickness was the 12th so back to work the 13th.

Poppops

Did you self certify for a week beforehand?

Does the fit note specify 7 days or does it just show the dates?

Skint_yet_Again

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/349912/fitnote-patients-employees-guidance.pdf

page 7 number 5

These dates are inclusive (so a fit note dated from 2 April to 10 April will no longer apply from 11 April onwards).

Hope that helps

LiamC8888

Thanks for your words of wisdom @blondebubbles lol. I went back to work on the 13th however when doing my return to work my HR department are advising I should have been back on the 12th.

My fit note had a 'from' and 'to' date on it which was stated as the 05/01 to the 12/01.

Thanks again.

Poppie68

The GP has given you a 8 day fit note (1 week)... Inclusive of the 5th and 12th...print off the relevant details from the .gov site and pass onto your employer.

TELLIT01

Your HR department is correct. A 7 day fit note starting on the 5th runs up to and including the 11th. When I worked on ESA the return to work date would be taken as the 12th.

timbo58

It sounds like your HR department are keen to have you back asap.

Does it really matter that much, even if the fit note hasn't 'expired' if you return to work if feeling sufficiently fit?

I think it sends a positive message to your employer, although I only suggest this IF you are fully fit before the note expires.
Doctors are not clairvoyants -they will usually err on the side of safety when making fit notes so they can go beyond a full recovery period.

agrinnall

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Your HR department is correct. A 7 day fit note starting on the 5th runs up to and including the 11th. When I worked on ESA the return to work date would be taken as the 12th.

But it wasn't a 7 day fit note, it had start and end dates that show it has a duration of 8 days. As this was clear before you posted I don't know why you bothered.

Poppie68

timbo58 wrote: »

It sounds like your HR department are keen to have you back asap.

Does it really matter that much, even if the fit note hasn't 'expired' if you return to work if feeling sufficiently fit?

I think it sends a positive message to your employer, although I only suggest this IF you are fully fit before the note expires.
Doctors are not clairvoyants -they will usually err on the side of safety when making fit notes so they can go beyond a full recovery period.

He's already back at work.... The hr department are disputing the back to work date.....slightly confused about your post.

TELLIT01

agrinnall wrote: »

But it wasn't a 7 day fit note, it had start and end dates that show it has a duration of 8 days. As this was clear before you posted I don't know why you bothered.

The answer is still actually the same. The end date given on a fit note is taken by DWP as the date on which you will be fit to return to work. It may seem odd but that's the way it is.