# Sick cert dates inclusive?



## rjt

Apologies if this question seems facile, but have searched here and on Google for definitive answer to no avail.
I had always assumed sick cert dates were inclusive eg 
 "John is medically unfit for work from 01/10/13 to 10/10/13" meant John was back at work on 11/10/13.
However this has led to a minor dispute with a colleague (I'm her manager)who maintains it means back at work on 10/10/13.She says doctor has confirmed this.
Who is correct, and where is it written?
Thanks in advance.


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## MrEarl

Hello,

I am not sure you will ever get absolute comfort on this question, due to the way a lot of the sick certs are worded (i.e. they don't specify the word "inclusive" after the date range).

Personally, when dealing with any of my direct reports, I accept that the dates references are included within the time certified (although thankfully, I don't have any "issues" with any of my direct reports - when it comes to them going AWOL on me etc so perhaps thats why I'm happy to give the benefit of the doubt in their favour, when it comes to this issue).

I imagine if you really wanted to settle the matter, the easiest way is to ask your colleague to pop into their doctor and ask them to add to the existing certificate, to clarify the issue "for record, purposes"


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## STEINER

To me, unfit from 1st to 10th means return to work on 11th. The doctor could write "should be fit to return to normal activities on whatever day" to avoid interpretation differences.  Using your colleague's (from and to) logic would mean fit to work on 1st and 10th!


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## SarahMc

Yes, I think the key to what the Doctor meant is in the first date, if the employee was unfit to work on that date, it follows that he meant both dates to be inclusive.


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## dubliner56

I am a GP secretary, and in our practice if a sick note is written 1/10/13 - 10/10/13, that indicates that the patient is due to return to work on the 10/10/13, we would write ''inclusive'' if we intended patient to return to work on the 11/10/13.


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## hippy1975

Our HR mgr always insisted the first date was the first day you were sick and the second date the first day you were well....we always thought this to be pedantic and over thinking it but maybe she was right  !


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## Deas

dubliner56 said:


> I am a GP secretary, and in our practice if a sick note is written 1/10/13 - 10/10/13, that indicates that the patient is due to return to work on the 10/10/13, we would write ''inclusive'' if we intended patient to return to work on the 11/10/13.


 

That's not how I would read that tbh, notwitstanding how you meant it.  Interesting discussion pointing to the requirement for such certs to be more specific.


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