Average time off work with anxiety
Why there is no standard figure, how sick notes for anxiety work, and what your employer should do while you are off and when you return.
The short answer. There is no standard time off work with anxiety. No NHS or government guidance sets one, because it depends on the person. You can self-certify for the first 7 days. After that, a doctor assesses whether you are fit for work and for how long.
Why there is no number
The NHS describes generalised anxiety disorder as a common mental health condition where you often feel very anxious. It also points out that most people feel anxious or scared sometimes. Between those two lies a wide range, and how much anxiety affects someone’s ability to work varies just as widely. A figure in weeks would tell you nothing about your own situation, so we do not give one. The answer for you comes from a doctor who has assessed you.
Can you get a sick note for anxiety?
Yes. For the first 7 days of an absence you self-certify, so no note is needed. If you are off for longer than 7 days in a row, your employer can ask for one. Your GP can issue an NHS fit note if they assess you as not fit for work, or as fit with changes such as altered hours or amended duties.
The NHS says to see a GP if you are struggling to cope with anxiety, fear or panic, or if what you are trying yourself is not helping. You can also refer yourself to an NHS talking therapies service if you are 18 or over (16 or over in some areas). Talking therapies treat the anxiety; they are separate from the question of a sick note.
If an appointment is hard to get, a private sick note for anxiety is an alternative. A GMC-registered UK doctor reviews an online questionnaire and may decline. Your employer can choose whether to accept a private certificate, and it is not valid for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), which need an NHS fit note.
What the note says
Many people worry about “anxiety” appearing on a document their manager will read. The rules for NHS fit notes let the doctor describe the condition less precisely where full detail would harm your wellbeing or your position with your employer. Raise this with the doctor rather than leaving it to chance.
If you need help now. If you feel you cannot keep yourself safe, or someone’s life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E now. For urgent mental health help that is not an emergency, use 111 online or call 111 and choose the mental health option. Samaritans answer free on 116 123, day or night.
Being off work with anxiety
Your employer can stay in touch while you are off, but for a mental health absence Acas says the purpose, type and level of contact should be agreed so that it is useful and not overwhelming. You can ask for contact by email rather than phone, or through one named person.
If you qualify, statutory sick pay is paid from your first full day off, at £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Read more in statutory sick pay explained.
Anxiety, disability and adjustments
If your anxiety has a substantial and long-term effect on normal daily activities, it may count as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 (Great Britain only). Long-term means it has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months. Whether it does depends on the facts of your case. If it does, your employer must make reasonable adjustments. Acas gives one example that matters for anxiety: not counting some or all disability-related absence towards sickness trigger points, or recording it separately.
Returning to work
A gradual return, with shorter days or lighter duties at first, often makes the first weeks back easier. Your employer and you agree how long it lasts and review it as you go. Our phased return guide covers pay during that period. Anxiety often overlaps with stress or depression, and the time off by condition hub sets out what applies to all of them. If you are going through the menopause, see menopause and time off work.
Common questions
What is the average time off work with anxiety?
There is no standard figure. No NHS or government guidance sets a typical period off work for anxiety. It depends on the person, and a doctor assesses whether you are fit for work.
Can you get a sick note for anxiety?
Yes. You can self-certify for the first 7 days. If you are off longer, a doctor can give you a note if they assess that anxiety stops you working.
Does my sick note have to say anxiety?
A note states the reason for absence. On an NHS fit note the law allows the doctor to describe the condition less precisely where full detail would harm your wellbeing or your position with your employer. Discuss the wording with the doctor.
Can my employer refuse a sick note for anxiety?
An employer cannot treat a mental health absence as less valid than a physical one. With a private certificate, though, your employer decides whether to accept it as evidence, so check their policy first.
Is anxiety a disability at work?
It can be, if it has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your normal day-to-day activities. Long-term means lasting, or likely to last, at least 12 months. Whether it does depends on the facts of your case.
Related
Sources. The legal, pay and clinical facts on this page were checked against these primary sources on 27 October 2026. Rules and rates change, and your employer’s own policy may add to them, so check your contract or HR policy too.
Need a sick note for anxiety?
Answer a short online questionnaire and a GMC-registered UK doctor will decide whether a private sick note is appropriate. £47.
Get a mental health sick noteAssessed by a GMC-registered UK doctor. Full refund if a note cannot be issued on clinical grounds.