With more and more people self-isolating and NHS resources struggling to cope with the demand for Fit Notes, employers have been asking us whether they have to pay employees if they self-isolate.
Of course, employees can self-certify without evidence for the first 7 days of absence and if their absence continues beyond that, they need to obtain a Fit Note.
The government has announced today that employees will be able to access an alternative Isolation Note online through the NHS 111 service and the NHS website, which they will be able to provide to their employer. This new service can also be used to generate self-isolation notes on behalf of someone else
The isolation notes will serve as the evidence that an employee has been advised to self-isolate because either they have the symptoms themselves or somebody that they are living with has symptoms of covid-19.
If an employee does not have an email address, the notes can be sent to a trusted family member or friend, or to the employer directly.