Academic and academic related (professional and managerial) staff sickness absence

This policy explains what you must do if you are ill and can’t come to work. It also tells you how much you will be paid if you are away from work because of illness.

  • You should let your manager know if you are ill and unable to come to work.  
  • You will need to send a self certificate sickness form to your manager if you are ill for more than three days. If you are ill for more than seven days you will need to send your manager a sick note from your doctor.
  • You will be given up to six months full pay and six months half pay within a 12 month timeframe based on your length of service.
  • You will be given Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for 28 weeks depending on your weekly earnings.
  • SSP is included when you are paid your full salary.  When you receive half pay, SSP will be paid on top.

Please note, during the Covid-19 outbreak, the following principles apply.

  • In all cases, you should report your absence through the normal channels and contact your manager directly on the first day of absence.
  • In addition, any Covid-19 related cases should be recorded through Employee Self-Service (ESS). Should there be any issues with accessing ESS, you can email Human Resources at essmss@leeds.ac.uk and your absence will be logged.
  • A fit note is required to cover absences/illness of more than seven days.
  • If you are unable to work for more than seven days because of Covid-19, you can now obtain an isolation note through an online service: https://www.111.nhs.uk/covid-19. This includes if you have been advised to self-isolate through the 'track and trace' service.