Calling in Sick
Tell your manager you're ill and know your basic rights.
Hi Jo, I'm really sorry, I'm not going to make it in today.
Computer voice · not a real clip
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All 15 phrases
Telling your manager4
Saying what's wrong5
- I've come down with somethingI've caught something.
- I'm feeling really roughI feel very unwell.
- I was sick last nightIn the UK, 'sick' usually means you vomited.
- I've got a temperatureI've got a fever.
- I've got a stomach bug, so I'd better not come inMany workplaces, especially food, care and healthcare, ask you to stay off until 48 hours after symptoms stop.
Notes and sick pay6
- I'm still not feeling a hundred per centI'm better but not fully recovered.
- Do I need a doctor's note?Not for the first 7 days, including weekends.
- I've got a fit note from my GPThe official note (people still say 'sick note').
- I've been signed off for two weeksA doctor has said you're not fit to work for that period.
- Am I entitled to sick pay?Ask about company sick pay and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
- I've got a return-to-work meeting with my managerA short check-in after an absence.
Check yourself15 questions
Question 1 of 15
When should you tell your manager?
More packs
- Calling in sick at workCall in sick, get a fit note and go back properly.
- Describing symptoms and painExplain what's wrong to a GP, nurse or 111, clearly and fast.
- Jobcentre and Universal CreditClaim Universal Credit and keep your payments safe.
About this pack
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not needed, saved on this device
- Reviews
- 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days later
- Moments
- 2 of 15 phrases have a clip
- Sources
Picked by Talk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phrases
- Picked by Talk.
- How Talk picked them
- Part of Talk's themed British life packs. Talk wrote each phrase with what it really means, when to say it, what not to say instead and one quiz question. A phrase gets a moment only if Talk's spoken videos say it with the same meaning. One review picked each moment, and a second tried to reject it. This pack holds 15 phrases.
- Licence
- Talk shares this list under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Meanings and examples
- Written by Talk in plain English.
- Dictionary details
- From Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Princeton WordNet, used under the WordNet licence. WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
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