Calling in sick/self certification and employers!

A question about : Calling in sick/self certification and employers!

Basically I work Mondays and Tuesdays, on Sunday I became ill, with a high temperature, sore throat, aching body and a really bad headache. I took some tablets etc, went to bed early when I got up I felt worse so I called into work, said I wouldnt be in as I think I've got the flu...they were so rude to me...anyway asked me if I had been to the doctors, I said no. Response was well you have to go to the doctors as the flu is a virus and only a doctor can diagnose that!! So today, I went to doctors who diagnosed me with a viral infection without much more explanation and said i need to take paracetamol and rest, but will start to feel better in the next few days! I didnt mention work to him, as to be honest i am not in til next monday so what he is gonna do, sign me off for one day?? and so I called up my work again, said what the doctor had said, I told them etc, then they said no, did the doctor say you shouldn't come to work? I said well he didn't give me a sicknote because I can self certificate for 7 days, they asked again did he tell you not to come to work? I said he told me to get bed rest and take Paracetanol to bring my temp down. So then they said when are you next in? I said Tuesday, they said well if you are still ill then I will need a sicknote (I said thanks, the doctor has said I should get better in the next few days) but if I don't I will be going back. They said well make sure you do!!!!!

So angry right now, I feel so ill and now after the way I have been spoken to I am terrified I will lose my job! Am I right? I can self certificate for 7 days? Can they ring my doctors and ask him? I didn't mention work to him so I don't know what he would say!!!!

Best answers:

• You can ring work and tell them the first 7 days you have to self cert as no doctor i know issues a sick note for the first week, as for work ringing your doctors, they can but the doctor will not tell them anything as it's doctors/patient confidentiality, unless you give permission for the doctor to divulge the information.
• If you were off Monday and Tuesday in week one, and off Monday in week two, you have been sick for 8 days, not seven. It's the total period, not just the actual working days that count, if you were thinking this is only 3 days. So you do need the doctors fit note to cover you for the first Monday to the second Monday inclusive.
  This is perfectly fair, otherwise if you think about it, someone who works one day a week could be off sick for 7 weeks before having to go and get a doctors cert!
• YEs, if you go back on the following Monday it's only been 7 days sick.
• I thought it was 5 days you could self-cert?? Am I wrong?
  P.S. Where's the confused smilie icon gone??
• It's the first 7 calendar days (oft referred to as 5 working days - on the false assumption that everyone works 5 days Mon-Fri) that you self-certify.
  Calendar day 8 and after of sickness requires a fit note (new name for sick notes).
  SSP, if you qualify, is only paid after a 3 calendar day waiting period - i.e. you only get paid SSP for calendar day 4 of sickness and later and then only for the days you would have been working.
• I dont qualify for SSP.
  I think the whole thing is ridiculous, have never been spoken to with such disrespect in all my working life! I dont think my post conveys just how rude they were!
  To top it off they have just called and asked me if I can come in Friday as they are short! I have said yes as I do feel slightly better so by Friday I should be back to normal, hopefully.
  Thankfullytoday I feel much better (although I think tonsilitus is on its way to me haha!) but at least my temp has gone as there is nothing worse than sweating and shivering constantly!!
  Thanks for all your advice.
• A lot of bosses think their rules supercede the rule of law so I wouldn't worry as there is nothing they can do.
  They were probably just short of cover and took it out on you.
  I remember an old boss I had was like that. He once threatened to sack on the spot anybody who called in sick on Christmas Day after a few of us were forced to work.
• From the NHS website:
  https://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1062.asp...categoryid=158