Sick note for one day?

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I started with what I thought was a cold yesterday and as the day progressed I got worse. I was shiverring, sweating, dizzy and unable to stand up without holding onto a wall, my chest hurt and I started vomiting. I've not felt this ill in a long time. I was due to go to work today but I felt so bad that I had to call in sick. I'm a cleaner and it was a 4 hour shift. I work in a care home so didn't want to pass it on to any vulnerable residents. There's signs all over saying if we have any sickness or flu like symptoms to not come in.

I've never called in sick before and I would never call in sick with just a cold. I'm genuinely so ill.

Just got a phone call from my manager saying because it's the Christmas period I have to get a doctor's note. She said there are different rules for working in a care home at Christmas and I've got to to to the GP and pay for a sick note for one day or I'll be disciplined.

I've looked at my contract and it says nothing of the sort. It just says you can self certify before 7 days and then have to get a sick note after 7 days.

Surely they can't enforce this? I'm so worried now.

I work in a GP surgery and it never fails to amaze me how ill informed many employers are about basic sickness legal requirements. Your employer is being very unfair to you to put this worry on you.

How can you do this if GPs are shit today? The GP I used to work for also wouldn't issue a certificate if he hadn't seen you that day - so if you saw him tomorrow for example he wouldn't do the certificate dated today.

Maybe offer a FaceTime time call with your line manager so they can see you and the sick bucket?

An online doctor perhaps..?

its rubbish, they cant legally enforce it. my employers tried that once and the gp wrote to them to say that.

Shut today I meant...

If you can afford it financially I'd go off sick all week and get a cert after 7 days from g.p. but that's just me. She is basically calling you a liar and threatening disciplinary action when you're ill. I've never heard of the rules being different in a care home. Why should they be. The care industry seems to treat its staff so badly and they wonder why there are shortages.

As a manager I cant imagine ever phoning a colleague.at home and threatening disciplinary
Aren't we supposed to.support our staff and make sure.they are fit.and well. Out of interest is it a private home or council run.

@HappyHammy my friend who is a manager said the exact same thing. It's a private care home

Why am I not surprised. Hope you feel better soon.

Do what @TheLittleBrownFox said. This is unreasonable.

If I were your GP I would be declining to do this note, even for a fee- GP practices will be hammered tomorrow, it’s not an appropriate use of time.

I would, however, appreciate that this is not your fault. I would suggest that you direct your employer to the written guidance on sick notes here: guidance There’s a helpful line in page 3 which states that if the organisation requires proof of sickness for less than 7 days then it is their responsibility to organise and pay for it. I would then suggest that if they still required that evidence, they could make a request in writing, with your written consent, and an upfront payment of my fee and that I could tell them, in writing, what you had told me. Which is the same as you’ve told them.

This sort of thing wastes so much time.”Get a note from your doctor” is a massive drain on GP time, is completely unnecessary and discourages sensible self care for self limiting illness. Strangely when I invite employers to discuss these issues with me I don’t get many takers. I also never get the written requests for information.

Just an update for anyone who's interested. I've been to my GP and she's signed me off for 2 weeks as I've got flu

So I've potentially infected other people at the GP surgery and now I feel ever worse

Hope you feel better soon, your employer sounds like a dick for asking you for the note in the first place.

I'm sure you won't have been the only sick one at the GP surgery and it's not your fault that your employer essentially forced you to go.

Not sure if the same care home company but when I worked there, it was published that any instances of sick absence adjacent to public or personal holidays would need to be backed up with a doctors note. If a charge was made, then the company covered it. It was unfortunate but there are always a handful of people that are not genuinely ill which then causes problems for those that are. I wouldn't take this personally unless you feel you have been singled out and are being treated differently. Get well soon OP

Can't help but think it serves your manager right, if she hadn't asked for the sick note you wouldn't be off for two weeks!

I dont see the point in insisting on a sick cert for one day. Someone could just go and.lie to.the.gp anyway. it means nothing if you see your gp and say you were sick last week and need a cert. Hope you feel better soon
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