Sick leave letter to employer: write your message in one minute

Here is the checklist the tool follows:

You can also add one line of thanks. It costs nothing and keeps the tone warm.

UK data protection guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office tells employers that their interest is mainly whether a worker is fit to work. It also says employers must not collect more health information than they really need. Health data is one of the sensitive types of personal data under EU data protection rules too.

So you can keep the medical detail between you and your doctor. Some employer policies ask for a general reason, such as "stomach bug" or "migraine". If yours does, give the shortest honest answer that meets the policy. If you have a condition that affects your work over time, a private talk with HR or occupational health is a better place for it than a team email.

Also leave out:

• Promises you cannot keep, such as "I will definitely be in tomorrow".
• Offers to work from bed when you are too ill to work.
• Other people in copy who do not need to know.
• Screenshots of medical letters or test results.

Across Europe, the official wording is usually "without delay", "immediately" or "as soon as possible". A few countries set a firmer limit, such as 2 hours after your working time starts in Denmark or the second day of absence in the Netherlands and Poland. The tables below show the rule for each country we cover.

The message to your manager and the doctor's certificate are often two separate steps. In many countries the doctor now sends the certificate electronically, but you still have to tell your employer yourself.

A simple routine works almost everywhere:

1. Message or call your manager before your shift starts.
2. Use the channel your employer asks for. Some want a phone call, not a text.
3. Copy HR only if your policy says so.
4. Send an update before the return date you gave, if anything changes.

Where a cell says "Ask your employer", we could not confirm that rule, so follow your contract, staff handbook or collective agreement. These can also set stricter rules than the law. Pick your country in the tool to see the same rules next to your message.

For pay, self certification and longer absences, see the full sick leave rules by country. Not sure yet whether you need a certificate? Our do I need a doctor's note checker asks a few questions and tells you.

A text or WhatsApp message is fine for many small teams and shift work. Follow it with an email if your policy asks for written notice. A formal letter suits HR departments, public sector employers and long absences.

Some employers want you to phone in person, at least on the first day. If so, call first and send a short email afterwards to confirm what you said.

How formal should it be? Match the way you normally write to the person who reads it. A friendly note suits a manager you message every day; a formal letter suits HR or a large employer you rarely deal with.

The tool offers three tones. Friendly uses first names and short sentences. Neutral keeps a polite, plain style that works almost anywhere. Formal uses a full greeting, a subject line with your name and dates, and a signature with your team or job title.

Whatever the tone, keep the facts the same. A casual message still needs the date you are off and when you will update your manager. A formal letter still does not need your diagnosis.

If you are unsure, pick neutral. It reads well to a manager, to HR and to a tutor.

What if you fall ill during a holiday? Tell your employer as soon as you can, using the same message you would send on a working day. In the UK, government guidance says that if you are ill just before or during a holiday, you can take that time as sick leave instead.

Say clearly which days you were booked on holiday and which days you were ill. Your employer can then update both records. Follow your usual policy on proof, since the same rules on self certification and fit notes apply.

Rules on this point differ outside the UK. Check your country on our sick leave rules page or ask HR before you assume the days will be returned to you.

Sam works in an office and wakes up ill on a Tuesday. Here is what Sam enters in the tool and what comes out:

Sam never names the illness in any message. Each message gives the dates and the next step, which is what the manager needs.

In the UK, government guidance says you do not need a fit note for 7 days or less. When you go back, your employer can ask you to confirm you were sick, which is called self certification. You might do this on a form or by email.

If you have been ill for more than 7 days in a row, including weekends and bank holidays, you need a fit note. A GP, hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist can issue one. The fit note says either that you are not fit for work or that you may be fit for work.

Acas adds that if your fit note is delayed, you should contact your employer to explain and say when it will arrive. Our tool's extension template includes a line for that.

To see what a certificate looks like, visit our medical certificate format library. Never present this letter, or any sample, as a certificate.

That agreement can cover how often you speak, the method, and who you deal with. It might be your line manager, another manager or HR. If the person you usually report to is part of the problem, ask for a different contact.

You do not need to answer every work message while you are off sick. A line in your first message such as "I will check email once a day for anything urgent" or "I will not be checking email" sets clear limits.

If your employer needs proof as well as your message, getmedicalcertificate.com offers an online sick leave certificate. A doctor reviews your case and decides whether a certificate can be issued. You pay EUR 34.99 only after that review, with no added fees at checkout, and get a full refund if the doctor cannot issue it.

If approved, you receive a signed PDF, usually within about 30 minutes of the doctor's approval. It carries a reference code anyone can check. Certificates are issued in English, across 42 countries in Europe. We cannot promise that a certificate will be issued, accepted or backdated.

Not sure you need one yet? Try our do I need a doctor's note checker first.