When do you need a sick note for work and how many days can you take off before you need a doctor’s note?

IT'S never a good idea to infect those around you and when you're feeling unwell, it can be difficult to concentrate at work.

So what are the rules when it comes to taking time off? Here's all you need to know about sick notes, when you need them and how long you can have off before they're required.

When do you need a sick note?

You will need a sick note - now called Statements of Fitness for Work or "fit note" - to show your employer if you have spent a long time away from work due to illness or injury.

They are designed to stop people claiming pay and taking time off working when they are not actually ill.

Support is available for those who are signed off work due to illness or a health condition on the .

They can also design a  on the site to help with reintegration after a long time away.

Statistically, the day when more people call in sick than any other is National Sickie Day

How many days off can you have before you need a doctor's note for work?

If you're off work sick for seven days or less, your employer should not ask for medical proof that you've been ill. Instead, they can ask you to confirm that you've been ill by getting you to fill in a form when you return to work.

Plenty of companies have their own self-certification form, but if not you can download a template created by HM Revenue and Customs

Once you have been ill for more than seven consecutive days (including weekend days, bank holidays or days you wouldn't usually work anyway) the NHS says you will need to provide your employer with a sick note.

How do you get a sick note from a doctor?

If you need a fit note, contact your GP surgery. Or if you are getting hospital treatment, ask for one from your hospital doctor.

They will assess you and decide if you are in a healthy condition for work or not.

If they deem that you are "not fit for work" they will write a note to that effect that you can present to your employer.

They may think that you "may be fit for work taking into account the following advice", under which circumstances they would layout circumstances or changes to your usual working routine that would allow you to perform your job - or some variation of it.

If your employer is unable to accommodate these conditions, the note is considered to say "unfit for work".

How much sick leave am I entitled to?

Employees must give their employer a doctors note if they have been ill for more than seven days in a row and taken sick leave.

This includes non-working days, including weekends and bank holidays.

Fit notes are free if the employee has been ill for more than 7 days when they ask for one. The doctor might charge a fee if they ask for the fit note earlier.

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.

You can get £94.25 Statutory Sick Pay for up to 28 weeks, you will be paid in the same way that you are paid your normal wages.

Tax and National Insurance will be deducted.