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.  

Returning to work after sick leave

Before you return  

Contact your manager to agree a return to work date.   

Talk to your manager if you need a reasonable adjustment to help you return to work. They can suggest a range of possible adjustments, such as a phased return to work, earlier start and finish times, or reducing your hours temporarily. Find out about applying for Access to Work and workplace adjustments. 

Managers should consider requesting an occupational health referral to get advice on how to support employees returning to work.  

When you return 

If your manager hasn’t already recorded your absence while you were away, you must enter your sickness absence on My Oracle under 'time and absences'.  

You can complete an online sickness self-certificate on My Oracle under 'document records'.  Alternatively, if your absence was for 7 days or less, you can complete a Self-certificate form (DOC, 44KB) and your manager will upload this to your sickness record on My Oracle. If your absence was for more than 7 days, your fit note must be upload to your sickness record.

Your manager will complete a return to work form in My Oracle in your 'document records'.  To ensure that they have captured all the information needed, they may also complete a Return to work interview form (DOC, 43KB) and discuss this with you during a welcome back meeting. The completed form should be uploaded to My Oracle. 

Have a welcome back meeting  

Each time you return from sick leave, you should have a ‘welcome back’ meeting with your manager. During the meeting you may talk about:

  • your self-certificate or fit note and reporting your absence on My Oracle
  • your sickness absence record over the last 12 months
  • concerns you or your manager have about your fitness to work  
  • if your doctor has recommended a gradual or phased return to work on your fit note
  • workplace adjustments you'll need to help you do your job
  • important updates or changes on how work has developed in your absence 

If a gradual or phased return to work is agreed, your manager will record the details on My Oracle in your 'document records'.