If you are unable to come to work because of illness, you must follow the procedure set out below. Failure to notify the company correctly may result in the absence being recorded as unauthorised.

**On the first day of absence**, you should telephone your line manager before 9 am. If you cannot reach your line manager, you should contact another senior member of your team, not the general switchboard. Text messages and emails are not acceptable as first notification. You do not need to provide detailed medical information at this stage; you need only say that you are unwell and give an estimated date of return.

For absences of **one to seven calendar days**, you may self-certify by completing the online absence form on your return. No doctor's certificate is required for this length of absence.

For absences of **eight or more calendar days**, a certificate from a registered medical practitioner (often called a 'fit note') must be provided. The certificate should be sent to Human Resources within three working days of its date of issue. If your absence continues, further certificates must be supplied to cover each additional period.

If you have taken more than twelve days of self-certified leave over a rolling twelve-month period, the company reserves the right to ask for a medical certificate for any subsequent absence, regardless of its length.

Repeated or unexplained absences may lead to an informal meeting with your manager, and in some cases to a formal review of your attendance.

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