The Department of Health and Social Care has announced changes to the Fit Note, now called a "self isolation note".

Employees who are unable to work for more than seven days because of COVID-19 will now be able to obtain an isolation note through a new online service.

The isolation note will give the employee evidence that they can give to their employer to prove that they have been advised to self-isolate due to COVID-19.

This could be either because they have symptoms or they live with someone who has symptoms, and so cannot work.

For the first seven days they are off work, employees can self-certify and don’t need to provide any evidence for their employer.

Isolation notes can be obtained from the NHS websitehttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/  and from NHS 111 online https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19. They cannot be obtained from a GP, and the advice is not to go to a GP surgery if you have symptoms.

Isolation notes will be sent by email, either to the employee or directly to the employer