Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to restore sick note procedure to seven days rather than allowing workers to stay off work for 28 days without a sick note from their General Practitioner.

This measure ended on 26 January.

The government made changes to the self-certification rules for Statutory Sick Pay, so that for any sickness absences which began on or after 10 December 2021, up to and including 26 January 2022, employees were not required to provide medical evidence of sickness, such as a fit note, for the first 28 days of absence.

This was intended as a temporary measure to quickly maximise GP capacity to support the coronavirus booster campaign.

For new periods of illness starting from 26 January medical evidence can be requested from day 8 of a sickness absence.