A UK sickness absence policy should cover notification, self-certification (7 days), fit notes (day 8 onwards), Statutory Sick Pay, return-to-work meetings, trigger points, long-term absence, and Equality Act compliance. There is no statutory requirement for a standalone policy, but the written statement of employment particulars must include sick pay terms. Use the 12-clause template below as a starting point.
Sickness Absence Policy Template (UK)
The full 12-clause policy as an editable Word document. Drop your details into the bracketed fields, read the drafting notes, then delete them before issuing.
- 12 clauses anchored in ACAS guidance and the 2026 SSP rules
- Sample wording for every section
- Blue placeholders show where to add your details
- Drafting notes explain the decisions only you can make
- Document control panel and disclaimer included
12-clause sample policy template
Adapt this to your business. Replace [Company name] throughout, set the trigger numbers that suit you, and have an employment law specialist check it before you adopt it. It keeps statutory rights (SSP, fit notes, reasonable adjustments) separate from the choices that are yours to make (trigger levels, any contractual sick pay).
Scope and purpose
This policy applies to all employees of [Company name]. It sets out how we manage sickness absence, the steps employees must take when they cannot attend work due to illness, and the support we provide. It is designed to balance the wellbeing of our employees with the operational needs of the business.
Notification
If you are unable to attend work due to illness, you must inform your line manager (or [named alternative]) by [phone or method] no later than [time, usually 30 minutes before start time] on the first day of absence.
You should give the reason for absence, the expected duration if known, and any urgent work that needs to be covered. For ongoing absence, you must contact your manager on each subsequent day unless other arrangements have been made.
Self-certification
For absences of 7 calendar days or fewer (including weekends and bank holidays), you may self-certify by completing our self-certification form on your return to work. The form is available from [HR / line manager / intranet].
The form must be returned by the end of your first day back at work.
Fit notes
For absences lasting more than 7 calendar days, you must provide a fit note from a registered healthcare professional (a GP, hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist, or physiotherapist). The fit note should be provided to your manager on the 8th day of absence or as soon as possible after.
If your fit note states "may be fit for work" with adjustments, your manager will discuss the recommended adjustments with you. If we cannot accommodate the proposed adjustments, you will be treated as not fit for work for the period of the fit note.
Statutory Sick Pay
You are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the first day of absence in accordance with the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 as amended by the Employment Rights Act 2025. Since 6 April 2026, SSP is payable from day 1 with no waiting period, and the Lower Earnings Limit no longer applies.
The weekly rate is the lower of the standard SSP rate or 80% of your average weekly earnings, payable for up to 28 weeks of absence.
[Optional: any contractual sick pay above SSP, eligibility, duration]
Return-to-work meetings
After every period of sickness absence, including a single day, you will have a return-to-work meeting with your line manager. The meeting is informal and is used to:
- Welcome you back and confirm you feel well enough to be at work
- Discuss the reason for absence
- Identify any support, adjustments or follow-up that may be needed
- Update you on anything missed during your absence
A brief written record of the meeting will be kept in your employee file.
Absence trigger points
We use trigger points to identify when an absence pattern warrants a more detailed review. Reaching a trigger does not automatically result in disciplinary action. The triggers are:
- [3 or 4] separate absences in any rolling 12-month period; or
- [8 to 14] total days of absence in any rolling 12-month period; or
- A single continuous absence of 4 weeks or more.
If you reach a trigger, your line manager will arrange a confidential review meeting to discuss the reasons for the absence pattern and any support, adjustments or referrals that may help.
The following absences do not count towards triggers: pregnancy-related absence, disability-related absence (where applicable), bereavement leave, statutory family leave (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, neonatal care), time off for dependants, and pre-booked medical appointments where reasonable notice has been given.
Long-term absence
Long-term sickness absence is a single continuous absence lasting four weeks or more. We will manage long-term absence through:
- Regular keep-in-touch contact at a frequency agreed with you
- Referral to occupational health, where appropriate
- Discussion of any reasonable adjustments to support a return to work
- Consideration of phased returns, redeployment, or modified duties as alternatives to dismissal
Where return to work is not possible after a fair process, dismissal on grounds of capability may be considered as a last resort, in line with section 98 of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Occupational health
We may refer you to an occupational health adviser where:
- A period of sickness absence has lasted four weeks or more
- You have reached an absence trigger and there appears to be an underlying medical cause
- A fit note suggests a recommendation that requires further assessment
- You request a referral, or a manager recommends one
Occupational health reports are advisory and not binding. We will discuss the report with you before making any decisions based on it.
Reasonable adjustments and the Equality Act
Under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, we have a duty to make reasonable adjustments where a workplace policy puts a disabled employee at a substantial disadvantage. This may include:
- Adjusting absence trigger points
- Recording disability-related absence separately
- Allowing additional time off for medical appointments or treatment
- Modifying working hours, duties, or location
If you have a disability or long-term health condition that affects your attendance, please speak to your manager or HR so we can explore appropriate adjustments together.
Confidentiality and data protection
Information about your health is special category personal data under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. We will only collect, store and process health information for legitimate purposes connected to managing your absence and supporting your wellbeing.
Sickness records are kept securely and access is limited to those with a need to know (your line manager, HR, payroll for SSP processing, occupational health where applicable).
Sickness during holiday and during pregnancy
If you fall ill before or during a planned period of annual leave, you may request that the days of illness are treated as sickness absence rather than annual leave. The leave will be reinstated for use later in the year. You must notify your manager promptly and provide a fit note for absences over 7 days, in line with this policy.
For pregnancy-related absence, the absence is recorded separately and does not count towards trigger points. Detriment or dismissal because of pregnancy-related sickness is automatically unfair.
Why a written policy matters
No single law forces you to have one. But section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 already requires your written statement of employment particulars to set out how staff report sickness and what sick pay they get. A standalone policy builds on that: it keeps every manager applying the same rules and gives you something solid to stand on if an absence decision is ever challenged.
What a good policy covers
Eight areas. Miss one and a manager ends up inventing a rule on the spot.
| Area | What to cover |
|---|---|
| Scope | Who the policy applies to. Usually all employees and workers, with specific exclusions if any. |
| Notification | How to report absence, who to, by when. Usually before the start of the working day. |
| Self-certification | The first 7 calendar days. The form to complete on return. |
| Fit notes | From day 8. What to do if there is a delay. Phased return arrangements. |
| Sick pay | SSP entitlement and any contractual sick pay. The 80% AWE rule. Use the SSP calculator to work out the amount due for any absence. |
| Return-to-work | Mandatory meeting after every absence. What is discussed and recorded. |
| Trigger points | What level of absence triggers a review. Communication and consequences. |
| Long-term absence | The four-week threshold. Occupational health referral. Capability process. |
SSP from 6 April 2026
Three changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025 landed on 6 April 2026. Your sick pay clause needs all three:
- Day-one pay. The three waiting days are gone. SSP runs from the first day off.
- No earnings floor. The Lower Earnings Limit is abolished, so every employee qualifies whatever they earn.
- 80% cap. SSP is the lower of the standard rate or 80% of average weekly earnings.
Work out the amount due with the SSP calculator. For the full rules, transitional protection and worked examples, see the Statutory Sick Pay 2026 employer guide.
Self-certification and fit notes
Two thresholds, set by GOV.UK.
Days 1 to 7: self-certify. The employee tells you they are unwell, weekends and bank holidays included. No medical evidence needed. Most employers ask for a self-certification form on return. You cannot demand a fit note this early, and a healthcare professional can refuse to issue one before day 7.
Day 8 onwards: fit note. The employee gives you a fit note from a GP, hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist. It says either "not fit for work" or "may be fit for work" with adjustments. If you cannot make the suggested adjustments, discuss it first, then treat the note as "not fit for work".
Return-to-work meetings
The highest-impact step, and the one most employers skip. ACAS recommends a short, informal meeting after every absence, even a single day. Welcome the person back, check they are well enough, ask whether anything needs adjusting, and keep a brief note in their file. Simply following absences up cuts casual absence without a single warning. For the full structure and sample questions, see the return-to-work interview template.
Setting trigger points
A trigger is the absence level that prompts a review meeting, not a punishment. Pick numbers that fit your team and apply them the same way for everyone.
| Pattern | Typical trigger |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 3 or 4 separate absences in a rolling 12 months |
| Duration | Total of 8 to 14 days in a rolling 12 months |
| Bradford Factor | Score of 100 or 150 |
| Long-term | Single continuous absence of 4+ weeks |
ACAS is clear that a trigger must never auto-start disciplinary action, must be written into the policy, and must flex for disability, pregnancy and statutory leave. For how Bradford Factor scoring works, see the Bradford Factor employer guide.
Legal safeguards
Sickness management runs straight into the Equality Act 2010. Four points to get right:
- A rule that hits disabled, pregnant or mentally unwell staff harder can be indirect discrimination unless you can justify it (section 19).
- Penalising someone for absence caused by their disability is unlawful unless it is proportionate (section 15).
- If your policy disadvantages a disabled employee you must make reasonable adjustments, such as raising their trigger points or recording disability absence separately (section 20).
- Record any adjustment you make, and why, in case it is ever questioned.
Five common mistakes
1. Skipping return-to-work meetings for short absences
Many employers only hold them after long absences. ACAS recommends them after every absence, including single days. They are the highest-impact intervention for managing absence well.
2. Not updating for the April 2026 SSP changes
Day-one SSP, abolition of the LEL, and the 80% AWE rule all need to be reflected in policy wording. Pre-2026 templates are now out of date.
3. Treating triggers as automatic warnings
ACAS is unambiguous: triggers must not automatically start a disciplinary process. They prompt a review, not a sanction. Confusing the two is a frequent cause of unfair dismissal claims.
4. Including pregnancy absence in trigger calculations
Almost always automatic discrimination. Section 18 of the Equality Act 2010 protects against unfavourable treatment because of pregnancy or pregnancy-related illness. Excluding it from triggers is a legal requirement, not best practice.
5. No record of the policy itself
If the policy is not written down, communicated to staff, and accessible (employee handbook, intranet, induction pack), tribunals will treat it as if it does not exist.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Is a sickness absence policy a legal requirement in the UK?
There is no specific law requiring a standalone sickness absence policy, but section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires the written statement of employment particulars to include details of how to notify sickness absence and any sick pay arrangements. In practice every UK employer should have a written policy. Without one, managers apply different rules to different staff, decisions become harder to defend at tribunal, and employees do not know what is expected of them.
When does an employee need a fit note?
From the 8th day of absence. For the first 7 calendar days (including weekends and bank holidays), employees can self-certify by telling their employer they are unwell. From day 8 onwards, the employee must provide a fit note from a registered healthcare professional: a GP, hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist, or physiotherapist. Employers cannot require a fit note for absences of 7 days or fewer, and a healthcare professional may refuse to issue one before the 7th day.
What changed about Statutory Sick Pay in April 2026?
From 6 April 2026, three things changed under the Employment Rights Act 2025. SSP is now a day-one right, with the previous 3-day waiting period removed. The Lower Earnings Limit was abolished, so all employees qualify for SSP regardless of earnings. And the rate is the lower of the standard SSP rate or 80 percent of the employee's average weekly earnings. These changes substantially expanded the number of employees entitled to SSP and the operational implications for employers.
How should we handle return-to-work meetings?
ACAS recommends a return-to-work meeting after every absence, including single-day ones. The meeting should be informal and conducted by the line manager. It serves three purposes: confirms the employee is well enough to be back, surfaces any underlying issues that might need support or adjustment, and signals that absences are noted without being punitive. Many employers find this single intervention reduces absence more than any other measure. The meeting should be brief and documented in the employee's record.
Can we dismiss an employee for too much sick leave?
Yes, but only after following a fair process. Long-term or persistent short-term absence can be a fair reason for dismissal under section 98 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, on capability grounds. The employer must obtain medical evidence (often from occupational health), consult with the employee, consider reasonable adjustments under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 where disability may be involved, and follow a fair procedure with a right to be accompanied at meetings. Dismissing on absence figures alone, without medical evidence and consultation, will almost always be unfair.
Are we required to make adjustments for disability-related absence?
Yes, under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010. Where the absence policy puts a disabled employee at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled employees, the employer has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments. ACAS guidance specifically identifies adjusting trigger points and recording disability-related absence separately as examples of reasonable adjustments. Refusal to make adjustments where they are reasonable is itself unlawful disability discrimination, regardless of the absence figures.
For mental health-specific obligations (Equality Act reasonable adjustments, discretionary wellbeing days, Bradford Factor risk where disability is involved) see the companion mental health days and wellbeing policy template.