sick note

British  

noun

1. informal a document given to an employer certifying that an employee's absence from work of more than four days was due to illness. If the absence is for more than seven days the note must be signed by a doctor See also self-certification

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Example Sentences

The sick note and abandonment of placement were "isolated incidents of these types of behaviours", the hearing concluded.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

She went off work with stress in December 2021 and had regular contact with Dr Swinghurst, who prescribed anti-depressants, signposted her to mental health support and provided a sick note until April 2022.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025

I had a commission — to write an essay about marble — that was a sort of sick note, an excuse to abscond from writing anything else.

From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2022

So they again have written themselves a sick note.

From Washington Post • Jan. 27, 2020

“I need a sick note for today,” I say.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King