Sick Note During Notice Period: UK Guide

Sick note during notice period questions often arise at the worst possible time: you are already unwell, your employment is ending, and you need to understand pay, evidence and communication quickly. You can take sickness absence during a notice period when you are genuinely not fit for work, but the amount you are paid can depend on who ended the contract, the length of contractual notice and the sick-pay terms that apply.

This guide explains the current UK position for employees who resign, are dismissed or become unwell while working notice. It covers self-certification, fit notes, notice pay, Statutory Sick Pay from April 2026, annual leave, employer contact and practical next steps. It is general information, not individual legal advice, because contracts and circumstances differ.

Can You Be Off Sick During a Notice Period?

Yes. Being in a notice period does not remove your right to report genuine sickness absence. You should use the employer's normal absence procedure, give notice as soon as reasonably possible and provide the evidence required at the correct stage. The key question for medical evidence is whether a health condition affects your fitness for work, not whether leaving the job is convenient or difficult.

Your employer cannot require you to work simply because a leaving date has been agreed. It can, however, manage absence under its normal policy, request appropriate evidence, maintain reasonable contact and investigate concerns where there is a fair basis. A fit note is medical advice about fitness for work. It is not proof of every workplace dispute, and it does not decide your pay by itself.

If illness starts before notice is given, the same core rules continue after notice begins. If it starts after resignation or dismissal, report it in the usual way. Keep the resignation or dismissal letter, contract, sickness reports and fit note together because the precise dates can determine both pay and the final employment date.

Do not ask a clinician to certify a workplace conflict, redundancy or resignation as though it were an illness. Describe your symptoms, when they began, the demands of your role and how your function is affected. Stress, anxiety, depression, pain, infection and other conditions can affect fitness for work, but a certificate should only record what the clinician can support.

Self-Certification and Fit Note Rules

For the first seven calendar days of sickness, an employee normally self-certifies. Calendar days include weekends, bank holidays and days you do not usually work. Follow the employer's reporting process even if the expected absence is short or your last working day is close. Our seven-day self-certification guide explains how the period is counted.

When sickness lasts more than seven calendar days, an employer can usually ask for a fit note. The note may say that you are not fit for work or may be fit for work if suitable support is available. Current GOV.UK notice and fit-note guidance confirms that medical evidence is normally requested only after this seven-day period.

If the employer asks for medical evidence during the first seven days, ask it to state what document it wants and who will pay. Government guidance says a healthcare professional may charge for early evidence and the employer should cover the cost. A private medical certificate is not automatically the same as a statutory Med3 fit note, so clarify the format before booking.

A fit note can cover a period that extends beyond your employment end date if that is the clinically appropriate period, but your former employer's obligations normally end with the employment relationship. After leaving, you may need evidence for a new employer, an insurer or a benefit claim. Ask that organisation exactly what it accepts rather than assuming the old document serves every purpose.

How Notice Pay Works When You Are Sick

Notice pay is the part most likely to cause confusion. GOV.UK guidance on payment during notice says you might not receive normal pay while off sick during notice. The outcome depends on the contract, whether you resigned or were dismissed, and how contractual notice compares with the statutory minimum.

When an employee resigns and is off sick, Acas guidance on pay during notice explains that normal pay protection may apply only in specific circumstances. If the employer's dismissal notice would be less than one week longer than the statutory minimum, there can be entitlement to full normal pay for a limited period. If contractual dismissal notice is at least one week longer, the employee may receive only the pay that applies to the absence, such as company sick pay or Statutory Sick Pay.

The calculation is technical because it uses the notice the employer would have needed to give, even when the employee resigned. Do not rely on a colleague's experience or an old online article. Send payroll or HR a written question asking which clause and statutory rule they have applied, what each day is classified as, and how the final amount was calculated.

If the employer dismissed you, different notice-pay protection can apply. Dismissal without notice for gross misconduct, payment in lieu of notice, garden leave and redundancy each need separate analysis. A payment in lieu may end employment immediately, while garden leave usually keeps you employed and paid under the agreed terms. Read the letter carefully and seek Acas or legal advice if the classification is unclear.

Statutory Sick Pay from 6 April 2026

For sickness absences beginning on or after 6 April 2026, eligible employees can receive Statutory Sick Pay from the first full qualifying day. The previous lower earnings threshold and waiting days were removed. The rate is 80% of average weekly earnings or the statutory weekly rate, whichever is lower, under current HMRC 2026 sickness guidance.

SSP is a minimum scheme, not a promise of full salary. A contract may provide more generous company sick pay, but it may also contain eligibility conditions, service requirements or a maximum allowance. Notice pay rules can interact with these schemes, so ask for an itemised final payslip rather than treating a fit note as a guarantee of full pay.

Resignation, Dismissal and Common Scenarios

The practical answer changes with the route out of employment. Identify which scenario applies before deciding what evidence or advice you need.

• You resigned and then became ill: report sickness normally, self-certify for up to seven days and provide a fit note if required after that. Pay may be company sick pay or SSP rather than normal salary, depending on the notice rules and contract.
• You were dismissed with notice and became ill: the dismissal letter, statutory notice entitlement and contractual notice length matter. Ask for the notice-pay calculation in writing.
• You received payment in lieu of notice: employment may have ended immediately, so a later sickness absence is not usually absence from that job. Check the payment and termination wording.
• You are on garden leave: you remain employed, but usually do not attend work. Tell the employer about illness if the contract or benefits make it relevant.
• You are made redundant: redundancy pay, notice pay, unused holiday and sick pay are separate items. Illness should not silently erase another entitlement.
• Your fixed-term contract is ending: a fit note does not normally extend the contract automatically. Confirm the end date and any renewal decision separately.

If you are too unwell to work but feel pressured to resign immediately, pause before sending a message you cannot easily undo. Sickness absence, a grievance, a reasonable-adjustment request or occupational health advice may provide a safer route while you understand your position. An employment adviser can help where health, discrimination or constructive dismissal is involved.

Annual Leave, Holidays and the Final Payslip

Employees continue to accrue statutory holiday during sickness absence and the notice period while employment continues. Untaken statutory holiday is generally paid when employment ends. Your final payslip should separate salary, sick pay, notice pay, holiday pay, deductions and any payment in lieu clearly enough for you to check.

An employer may ask you to take holiday during notice if it gives the required notice, or you may request holiday instead of sickness absence. Do not allow dates to be changed casually after the event, because holiday pay and sick pay can differ. If you become sick during booked annual leave, follow the sickness reporting policy promptly and state whether you want the affected days treated as sickness.

Check bonus, commission, benefits and pension terms too. Some benefits continue only while salary is payable or employment remains active. Private medical insurance, company car use and salary sacrifice arrangements may end on different dates. A fit note does not decide those contractual questions.

Before the final payroll closes, ask for confirmation of:

• The contractual and statutory notice dates used.
• Which days are work, garden leave, holiday, sickness or payment in lieu.
• Whether company sick pay or SSP applies and at what rate.
• The balance and value of untaken holiday.
• Any deductions, benefits ending and the P45 date.
• When final salary and any separate termination payment will arrive.

Communicating With Your Employer

Keep communication factual and proportionate. Tell the named manager or HR contact that you are unwell, when the absence began, the likely review date if known and how urgent handover matters can be handled. You do not need to give colleagues your full medical history, but the employer needs enough information to administer absence and consider support.

Reasonable contact is still appropriate during notice. Agree a method and frequency that respects your health. An employer may need to discuss handover, equipment return, final pay or adjustments, but repeated calls that worsen symptoms are not the only option. Ask for email contact or a scheduled call if that is more manageable.

Return company property securely and obtain a receipt. If you cannot travel because of illness, propose insured collection or another practical arrangement. Do not risk your health or breach medical advice simply to deliver a laptop in person.

Save copies of your resignation or dismissal notice, absence reports, fit notes, adjustment requests, payslips and responses. Use personal contact details where appropriate because access to a work account may end abruptly. Do not remove confidential employer or patient information when keeping your records.

Returning Before the Notice Period Ends

Some people recover before their leaving date. Tell the employer when you are fit to return and discuss whether normal duties, a short phased return or temporary changes are sensible. A fit note marked may be fit can suggest altered hours, amended duties, workplace adaptations or a phased return, but the employer decides whether a proposed adjustment is practical.

If support cannot be provided, the note is usually treated as though it says not fit for work for that period. If you recover sooner than the end date on the note, you can often return without obtaining a separate fit-to-work document, provided the employer's risk process is satisfied. Safety-critical jobs may have specific occupational health or regulatory requirements.

Our phased return guide explains how to make a short plan with review dates. If the new employer asks for evidence before your next role starts, clarify whether it needs an occupational health assessment, a fit-to-work assessment or simply confirmation that agreed duties are manageable.

When to Get Employment Advice

Contact Acas, a trade union or an employment adviser if the employer withholds pay without explaining the calculation, changes the termination date unexpectedly, ignores a disability-related adjustment request, disciplines you without a fair process or pressures you to work against medical advice. Time limits for employment claims can be short, so do not wait for every internal conversation to finish before learning the deadline.

Health conditions can meet the Equality Act 2010 definition of disability when their effects are substantial and long term. If the employer knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, it may have a duty to consider reasonable adjustments. That does not guarantee full notice pay or prevent every dismissal, but health-related disadvantage should be considered individually.

If your condition is linked to work, record the relevant facts without turning the fit-note assessment into a legal investigation. Clinical care, workplace processes and legal advice have different purposes. Separating them helps each professional give reliable help.

How DoctorCert Can Help

DoctorCert provides private online medical-certificate assessments for adults in the UK. A GMC-registered doctor reviews your symptoms, health history and work impact. A certificate is issued only when the doctor considers it clinically appropriate after assessment.

Before applying, check what your employer requires, especially if it has specifically requested a statutory Med3 fit note. DoctorCert cannot decide notice pay, employment rights, dismissal fairness or benefit entitlement, and a private certificate is not guaranteed to be accepted for every purpose.

You can read how an online certificate assessment works, compare the role of a workplace medical certificate, or start a private assessment when that evidence fits your employer's request. Seek NHS care for diagnosis, treatment or urgent symptoms, and employment advice for a pay dispute.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I call in sick after handing in my notice?

Yes, if you are genuinely unwell and not fit for work. Follow the normal reporting process, self-certify for the first seven calendar days and provide medical evidence after that when required. Sickness does not usually cancel or extend the agreed notice period.

Will I receive full pay if I am sick during my notice period?

Not always. Pay depends on who gave notice, contractual notice length, statutory notice, company sick pay and SSP eligibility. Ask payroll for the calculation in writing and use current Acas guidance because older online explanations may no longer reflect 2026 SSP rules.

Can my employer make me work while I have a fit note?

An employer should not simply require work that conflicts with a not-fit assessment. If the note says you may be fit with support, discuss whether suitable adjustments are available. Get advice if you feel pressured to undertake unsafe work.

Does being signed off extend my leaving date?

Usually no. The employment end date normally remains the date created by valid notice or the contract. A fit note can cover a longer clinical period, but it does not automatically continue the employment relationship.

Can I start a new job while signed off from my old job?

Sometimes different roles have different demands, but this can create contractual, pay and credibility issues. Discuss the functional difference honestly with the clinician, check both contracts and get employment advice before working elsewhere while receiving sick or notice pay.

Do I need a fit note if fewer than seven days remain?

Usually you can self-certify if the total sickness absence is seven calendar days or fewer. If the employer asks for earlier evidence, ask what it requires and whether it will cover the fee. Continue to report the absence even if employment will end soon.