Sick note

The sick note is the information about an illness from the employee to his employer. It also takes place if the employee is too ill to go to the doctor.

How to call in sick

Each company regulates how a sick note is sent. For some companies, a text message to the boss is sufficient. Other companies prefer to be contacted by e-mail and others insist on a sick note by telephone.

Difference to sick leave

A sick note is to be distinguished from a sick note.

While the sick note is issued by the employee, as described above, the sick note is issued by a doctor.

The doctor will carry out an examination and then issue a certificate of incapacity for work. This must then be submitted to the employer. The law stipulates that this sick note must be available to the employer from the 4th day of illness at the latest.

However, the employer can agree in the employment contract that a sick note must be submitted in advance. It is even possible to require a sick note from the first day of illness. However, many companies refrain from doing this as they want to spare their employees a trip to the doctor and avoid lengthy sick notes.

Sick note without giving reasons

Furthermore, the boss does not need to know what illness the employee has. He should only be told how long the sick leave will last, but nothing about the cause. The cause is more or less a private matter.