Notification to the employer of absence through illness

Published byDocMuse

A sick note is issued by the doctor, but the employer has to be told that you are absent — at once, not when you come back. This document does that in writing: the date your absence starts, the number of the sick note, and how to reach you. The notification does not replace the sick note; it goes with it.

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This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.

Common questions

When do I have to tell the employer?

As soon as you know you will not be at work — the same day, not when you bring the sick note in. The sick note follows later through official channels, and the notification covers the days until then so they are not recorded as unexplained absence.

Is a phone call enough?

A call does the job at the time, but it leaves no trace. If a dispute later arises about whether you told them, a phone call is hard to prove and a dated written notification is not.

What if I do not have the sick note yet?

The notification is not a sick note and does not replace one. It reports that you are absent and why, and says when you expect to produce the document. The two go together, but the first is immediate and the second follows in its own time.

Do I have to give my diagnosis?

No. Health data are sensitive and an employer has no right to require them. It is enough to say that you are absent through illness and for roughly what period.