Sick pay and leave

You’re entitled to sick pay if you need to take time off work due to a physical or mental health issue and you’ve got an employment contract with the council.  

Reporting sickness absence

If you do not feel well enough to work, you should tell us when you need to take some time off and what should happen when you return to work.  

Full details can be found in the sickness absence policy (PDF, 159KB).

Tell your manager

Contact your manager as soon as possible to tell them you’re not well enough to work. If you’re able, you should talk to them about: 

  • why you're not well enough to work
  • how long you expect to be off work 
  • how you want to keep in contact and how often 
  • important deadlines or work commitments that may need rearranging

Managers must record your sickness leave start date in My Oracle. When you return to work, your manager should log your sickness end date in My Oracle.

If you are off work for 7 days or less

If you have been off work for 7 days or less, you should record your absence as 'sick leave' in My Oracle. 

If you do not have access to My Oracle, you can complete a Self-certificate form (DOC, 44KB) and give this to your manager.

If you are off work for more than 7 days

Send a fit note to your manager 

If you’re off work sick for more than 7 days in a row (including days you do not usually work) you’ll need a fit note from the health care professional who is treating you. 

Send a copy of your fit note to your line manager as soon as possible, so you’re paid the right amount while off work. Your line manager will upload the fit note to your sickness absence record on My Oracle.

A fit note should advise your manager that you’re not fit for work and how long you might be on sick leave.

Alternatively, the fit note may suggest that you're fit enough to return to work with adjustments.   

For example, the healthcare professional treating you may suggest possible changes, such as: 

  • returning to work gradually 
  • working different hours 
  • working in a different place 
  • performing different duties or tasks 

If you are off work sick for more than 4 weeks, you may be considered long-term sick.

Sickness due to stress 

If your absence is due to stress, your manager will ask to refer you to the early intervention stress support service. This is a proactive service offered by the providers of our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Full details can be found on the managing stress in the workplace page. 

Sick leave during pregnancy 

Your manager should record pregnancy related sick leave in My Oracle under 'sick leave'. Then choose the 'pregnancy related' option. 

If you have a pregnancy related sickness 4 weeks or less before your baby is due, maternity leave and pay will automatically start.  

Sickness while on annual leave

If you fall ill or get injured during your annual leave, you should contact your line manager as soon as possible and follow their instructions.

Once you return to work, you may be able to swap your annual leave for the days you were ill and record the absence as sick leave instead.

To do this, you will need to:

  • cancel your annual leave in My Oracle for the days you were sick
  • record the absence as 'sick leave' in My Oracle, attaching a copy of your medical evidence covering the period of the illness (even if this is less than 7 days). This could be a fit note, a certificate from an medical practitioner you saw outside of the UK or evidence of your insurance claim if you fall ill overseas

Sickness over a bank holiday

If your period of sickness includes a bank holiday, you can take the bank holiday at a later date as time off in lieu. After your return to work, you and your line manager will agree an alternative day for you to take the time off.

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