Do You Need a Sick Note for One Day Off Now That SSP Starts on Day One?

Medically reviewed by Kenny Livingstone | GMC Number: | Last Updated: October 2026

Since the 6th of April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has been payable from your first full day off sick, rather than your fourth. This has left many employees asking whether they now need a sick note for just one day off, but in most cases you do not,as the Employment Rights Act 2025 has only changed when sick pay starts, not when your employer can ask for medical proof.

The historic 7-day self-certification rule remains unchanged, so for any absence of 7 days or fewer you can confirm your own sickness without seeing a doctor. This guide explains what changed in 2026, what stayed the same, and the specific situations where you might still be asked for medical evidence during your first week off; covering employees in England, Scotland, and Wales.

If your sickness is expected to last longer than 7 days, you can get a same-day sickness note for work directly from ZoomDoc. GP verified with no in-person appointment required.

What Changed With Statutory Sick Pay in April 2026?

The Employment Rights Act 2025 made two changes to SSP that took effect on 6 April 2026. The three unpaid “waiting days” at the start of each period of sickness were removed, and so was the minimum earnings threshold that previously excluded many part-time and lower-paid workers.

SSP is paid for each qualifying day, meaning a day you would normally work. If you work Monday to Friday and earn more than £154.06 a week, one day off sick is now worth £24.65 (£123.25 divided by 5). Under the old rules, a one-day absence paid nothing.

To receive SSP you still need to be an employee, and you need to tell your employer you’re sick within their deadline, or within 7 days if they don’t set one. According to GOV.UK’s employer guidance, your employer can’t insist that you tell them in person or on a special form.

What Didn’t Change: the 7 Day Self-Certification Rule

The evidence rules for SSP are exactly as they were before April. If you’re off sick for 7 days in a row or fewer, you self-certify: you tell your employer you were unwell, usually by filling in their absence form or HMRC’s SC2 form. You don’t need a sick note from a doctor, and you don’t need to see one. GOV.UK’s guidance for employers is unambiguous on this. An employer can only ask for a fit note once you’ve been off for more than 7 days in a row, and it cannot withhold SSP because a fit note arrives late. Acas gives employees the same advice.

Day-one sick pay and day-eight medical evidence are separate rules. The first decides when you’re paid, while the second decides when you can be asked for proof, and the second hasn’t moved.

How are Sick Days Counted?

The 7 sick days are counted as calendar days, not working days – an important distinction. This means that weekends and days you wouldn’t normally work still count towards your total.

• Sick from Thursday to the following Wednesday: that’s 7 days, so you self-certify.
• Still sick on the second Thursday: that’s day 8, so your employer can now ask for a fit note.
• Sick on Friday and Monday, and unwell over the weekend: that’s 4 calendar days, so you self-certify.

Why Would I Need a Sick Note in the First 7 Days?

The 7-day rule governs medical evidence for SSP. A few common situations sit outside it, and these are usually the reason people end up needing a sick note for a short absence.

Your Contract Includes Company Sick Pay

Many employers pay more than SSP through a contractual or occupational sick pay scheme. Citizens Advice explains that the 7-day protection applies where your contract has no rules about contractual sick pay. Where it does, those terms can include their own evidence requirements for the extra pay, and some employers ask for medical evidence from the first day.

Your SSP entitlement itself can’t be made conditional on a doctor’s note within the first 7 days. Check the sickness absence section of your contract or staff handbook, which should set out what evidence the company scheme requires.

You’ve Had Several Short Absences

Some employers ask for medical evidence when an employee has been off sick repeatedly, even if each absence lasted 7 days or less. The NHS notes that a fit note can’t be used for this purpose, so a GP practice may charge for a private certificate instead. Because SSP now starts at day 1, every short absence appears in payroll records from the first day. Many sickness absence policies use trigger points, such as a set number of absences within a period which lead to an absence review meeting. A work sickness certificate froma GMC-registered doctor confirms your illness, when it started, and whether it is ongoing or resolved – all of which can help explain a pattern of absence in a meeting.

You’re Returning to Work After an Infectious Illness

The most common example of this would be norovirus in the winter. The NHS advises staying off work until you haven’t been sick or had diarrhoea for 2 days, end employers in food, care and healthcare settings often ask staff to confirm they’re clear before they return. Food businesses follow Food Standards Agency guidance on this.

A fit-to-work certificate confirms you’ve recovered and are safe to go back, which is a different question from proving you were ill; requiring a different form of confirmation.

The Evidence Isn’t for Your Employer

SSP rules only cover employment. Universities, schools, travel insurers, airlines and event organisers each set their own evidence requirements, and the 7-day rule doesn’t apply to any of them. If you’ve missed an exam deadline, cancelled a trip or can’t attend a booked event because you’re ill, the relevant document is a university sickness letter, a travel cancellation certificate or an event cancellation certificate.

What’s the Difference Between a Fit Note or Private Sick Note?

A fit note (officially a Statement of Fitness for Work, often called a Med3) is the NHS document your employer can ask for after 7 days. A private medical certificate is a separate document issued by a doctor working privately. They meet different needs.

ZoomDoc certificates are private medical certificates, not NHS Med3 fit notes. Each one is issued by a GMC-registered UK doctor after reviewing your questionnaire and a short video of your symptoms, covers up to 7 days of sickness at a time, and includes a QR code your employer can scan to verify it. Certificates are issued the same day between 9am and 9pm, 7 days a week.

A private online certificate isn’t right for every situation. ZoomDoc’s doctors don’t issue sickness certificates for court proceedings, tribunals, jury service or Home Office and immigration appointments, and for those you should speak to your usual GP.

Common Scenarios for Winter Illness and Sick Pay

Newly Eligible for Sick Pay? What Part-Time and Lower-Paid Workers Should Know

Before April 2026, you needed to earn at least the Lower Earnings Limit to get any SSP. That threshold has gone, so if you work part-time or on low weekly earnings, you may be entitled to sick pay for the first time this winter.

• How much you’ll get: 80% of your average weekly earnings, if that’s lower than £123.25 a week.
• The evidence rules are the same: self-certify for up to 7 days and provide a fit note after that.
• You still need to tell your employer: within their deadline, or within 7 days if they don’t have one. Your employer doesn’t have to pay SSP for days you report late without a good reason.
• Who isn’t covered: SSP is paid by employers to employees, so self-employed people can’t get it. Many agency workers can.

Do you need a sick note for one day off? Frequently asked questions

Do I need a sick note for one day off work?

Usually not. For absences of 7 days or fewer, including weekends, you can self-certify. Your employer can only ask for a fit note once you’ve been off for more than 7 days in a row, although a company sick pay scheme can set its own evidence rules for pay above SSP.

Does SSP from day one mean my employer can ask for a sick note from day one?

No. The April 2026 changes moved the start of SSP from the fourth qualifying day to the first, but left the evidence rules unchanged. For SSP, medical evidence can only be requested after 7 days.

How many days can I self-certify for in the UK?

Up to 7 calendar days in a row. Non-working days, including weekends, count towards the 7.

Can my employer refuse to pay SSP if I don’t have a sick note?

Not during the first 7 days, and not because a fit note arrives late. Your employer can refuse SSP for days you were late telling them you were sick, unless you had a good reason for the delay.

Is a private sick note the same as a fit note?

No. A fit note is the official NHS Statement of Fitness for Work. A private medical certificate is a separate document that employers, universities and travel providers can accept as evidence. For absences of more than 7 days, it’s up to your employer whether they’ll accept other evidence instead of a fit note.

Do the April 2026 sick pay changes apply in Northern Ireland?

This guide covers England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own employment and sick pay legislation, so check nidirec for the rules that apply there.

Do I need a sick note if I’ve had norovirus?

Not usually, because most norovirus absences, including the 2 days you should stay off after symptoms stop, last 7 days or fewer. Some food, care and healthcare employers ask for confirmation that you’re clear to return.