Coronavirus - new online 'isolation note' service

The government has today launched a new service employees can use to prove they have been advised to self-isolate due to coronavirus. Employees will be given  'isolation notes' which can be obtained without contacting a doctor

Current advice is that workers should self isolate for 7 days if they have symptoms and for 14 days if they live with someone with symptoms - even if they feel perfectly well. Some older people and those considered to be 'high risk' are also being medically advised to self isolate rather than just socially isolating themselves from others.

For the first seven days off work, employees can self-certify so they don’t need any evidence for their employer. After that, if employers ask for evidence of sickness absence, employees can obtain an isolation note.

The notes can be accessed through the NHS website and NHS 111 online. After answering a few questions, an isolation note will be emailed to the user. If they don’t have an email address, they can have the note sent to a trusted family member or friend, or directly to their employer. The service can also be used to generate an isolation note on behalf of someone else.