Sick certificates and sickness allowance: electronic evidence, four days and balances

Before you start

The ordinary statutory sickness-allowance test includes a continuous contract, at least four consecutive sickness days, sufficient accumulated paid sickness days and appropriate medical evidence. Specified exceptions concern matters including pregnancy examinations, post-confinement treatment and miscarriage. Check their actual conditions rather than applying the ordinary four-day rule to every case. The allowance is four-fifths of the relevant average daily wages. Labour Department guidance confirms that HA's electronic certificates do not remove statutory entitlement; verify the genuine electronic document instead of treating a manually edited screenshot as medical evidence.

What to do, step by step

1. Notify the employer under its absence procedure and preserve the dates and communication. Explain the period you cannot work without circulating a complete medical history to colleagues who do not need it.
2. Obtain the appropriate certificate from the provider and check the name, dates, unfitness period and required particulars. For an electronic document, use the provider's legitimate access or verification arrangement.
3. Check the accumulated statutory balance and applicable category, including any additional evidence requirements. Review contractual short-absence or full-pay benefits separately rather than assuming a zero statutory payment resolves the contractual position.
4. Retain confirmation of submission and review the average-wage calculation and payday. If payment or employment treatment is disputed, take the contract, certificate, attendance and payroll records to the Labour Department.

Costs, timing, and things to check

The guide specifies accepted practitioners and different requirements for Category 1 and Category 2 days. A clinic letter, attendance note and sickness certificate do not necessarily serve the same purpose.

Work-injury absence needs its own compensation check rather than automatic deduction from ordinary sickness balance. Ask the issuing provider to correct a document error; do not alter it yourself.

A practical example

An employee takes two days and the company policy provides full pay for a qualifying short absence. Payroll should check that contractual benefit instead of ending the enquiry at the statutory four-day threshold. For another employee absent five consecutive days, also verify accumulated days, evidence and average wages. Preserve the basis of each decision so two apparently similar certificates do not hide different entitlement questions.