Phased return to work: what it is and do you need a note?
A phased return lets you build back up gradually after time off sick. You do not need a note to have one, but a doctor’s recommendation often helps. A GMC-registered UK doctor can assess you online and write one your employer can choose to follow.
- A doctor’s letter recommending a phased return or adjusted duties
- Online questionnaire, no appointment needed
- Assessed and signed by a GMC-registered UK doctor
- Full refund if a letter cannot be issued on clinical grounds
£47 · No appointment needed · UK-registered doctors
£47
What the letter covers
- Your name and date of birth
- The doctor’s recommendation for your return
- Suggested changes, such as hours or duties
- How long the doctor suggests the changes last
- Doctor’s name, GMC number, signature and date
The short answer. A phased return to work is a gradual build-up back to your normal job after sickness, for example shorter hours, lighter duties or a smaller workload, agreed between you and your employer. You do not legally need a sick note or fit note for one. A doctor’s recommendation can support your request, but your employer decides.
What is a phased return to work?
It is a plan for coming back from sickness absence in stages instead of all at once. Acas describes it as someone who has been absent gradually building up to returning to work. The changes can be to:
- hours, such as half days or fewer days a week
- duties, such as different or lighter work for a while
- workload, such as fewer cases, calls or targets
You and your employer agree the plan between you. Acas says it might suit someone after a long-term illness, a serious injury or a bereavement, and that can include a long absence with a mental health condition such as stress. For examples where adjusted hours or duties come up, see returning after a broken wrist and working through the menopause. Acas also says there should be a return to work meeting when you come back.
Do you need a sick note for a phased return?
No law says you need one. A phased return is an agreement, not a medical status. You also do not need to be “signed fit” to go back: government guidance says people do not need to be signed back to work.
A note helps in two ways. It tells your employer a doctor thinks a gradual return is right for you, and it gives a starting point for hours and duties. There are two kinds of note that can do this:
An NHS fit note marked ‘may be fit for work’. Instead of saying you are not fit, the healthcare professional can tick phased return to work, altered hours, amended duties or workplace adaptations. This advice is not binding. If your employer cannot agree to any of the changes, you are treated as not fit for work on the same fit note, and you do not need a new one.
A private doctor’s letter. A GMC-registered doctor can assess you and write a letter recommending a phased return or adjusted duties. Like the fit note advice, your employer can choose whether to follow it.
If you are not ready to go back yet, see getting a private sick note for work.
Phased return to work example
Every plan is different, and there is no legal template. Below is one way a four-week plan might look for an office job after several weeks off. It is an illustration of the kind of plan employers and employees agree, not a rule or a recommendation for you.
| Week | Hours or days | Duties |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three half days | Catching up, light tasks, no deadlines |
| 2 | Four half days | Familiar tasks, reduced workload |
| 3 | Four full days | Most usual duties, no extra responsibilities yet |
| 4 | Usual hours | Full duties, with a review meeting at the end |
A good plan says what happens each week, who you check in with, and when it will be reviewed. If a week goes badly, the plan can be slowed down rather than abandoned. Get it in writing, so both sides know what was agreed.
How long can a phased return to work last?
There is no fixed maximum. Acas says the length depends on the person, should be agreed between you and your employer, and should be reviewed as you go. A fit note will usually give advice on how long it should last.
Pay during a phased return
If you go back to your usual work on reduced hours, Acas says you should get your usual rate of pay for the hours you work. If you do different or lighter work, the rate of pay is for you and your employer to agree, in writing. Statutory sick pay can only be paid for full days you do not work, never for part-days. So if you work half days all week, you are paid for the hours worked and do not get statutory sick pay for the other half. At most, statutory sick pay is £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Your contract may give you more. How statutory sick pay works.
If you have a disability
If your condition counts as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, your employer must make reasonable adjustments, and government guidance names a phased return with flexible or part-time hours as one of them. That is the main situation where your employer cannot simply say no if the adjustment is reasonable.
Dreading going back to work after being off sick
It is common to feel anxious about going back, especially after a long absence or a mental health condition. A few things make the first days easier:
- Ask for a return to work meeting before or on your first day, to agree the plan and the support you need.
- Agree how and how often you will be in touch while you are still off, and with whom, so the return is not a surprise to anyone.
- Ask for the plan in writing, with a review date.
If the dread comes with low mood or panic, speak to a doctor before you go back. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, get help now: call 111 and choose the mental health option, or call Samaritans free on 116 123. If you do not feel you can keep yourself safe, call 999. Support for mental health absence.
A doctor’s letter recommending a phased return
If you want a doctor’s view to take to your employer, a GMC-registered UK doctor can assess you online. If they agree a gradual return is right, they write a letter recommending a phased return or adjusted duties, which your employer can choose to follow. It costs £47.
The doctor may decline if a recommendation is not clinically appropriate, and you get a full refund if a letter cannot be issued on clinical grounds. This is a private letter for your employer, not an NHS fit note, and it cannot be used for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims.
How it works
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1
Tell us about your return
An online questionnaire about why you were off, how you are now and what your job involves.
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2
A UK doctor assesses you
A GMC-registered doctor reviews your answers and decides whether a phased return or adjusted duties would help.
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3
Your letter, or a full refund
If the doctor supports it, you receive a signed PDF to share with your employer. If not, you are refunded in full.
Common questions
Do I need a sick note for a phased return to work?
No. A phased return is agreed between you and your employer, and no law requires a note for it. In practice, a doctor’s recommendation often starts the conversation: an NHS fit note marked ‘may be fit for work’ can suggest one, and a private doctor’s letter can recommend one. Your employer decides whether to follow it.
Do I need a fit note to return to work?
No. Nobody has to be signed back to work, and the fit note has no ‘fit to return’ option. If you recover early you can simply return, with no further appointment needed. When a fit to work letter is still asked for.
How long can a phased return to work last?
There is no fixed legal length. Acas says it depends on the person, and that you and your employer should agree how long it lasts and review it as you go. A fit note will usually give advice on length.
Do I get full pay on a phased return?
If you do your usual job on reduced hours, you get your usual rate of pay for the hours you work. If your duties or workload change, your pay is for you and your employer to agree in writing. Statutory sick pay can only be paid for full days you do not work, not for part-days. Some employers top this up under their own sick pay scheme, so check your contract.
Can I ask for a phased return to work?
Yes, you can ask, and it is worth asking in writing. Your employer does not have to agree to advice on a fit note, but if you are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 (in England, Scotland and Wales), a phased return can be a reasonable adjustment they must make.
Can I get a doctor’s letter for a phased return to work?
Yes. A GMC-registered UK doctor can assess you online and, if it is clinically right, write a letter recommending a phased return or adjusted duties for £47. Your employer can choose whether to follow it. It is not valid for Universal Credit or ESA claims.
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.
Get a phased return recommendation
A GMC-registered UK doctor assesses you online and, if it is right for you, writes a letter your employer can choose to follow. £47.
Start your assessmentAssessed by a GMC-registered UK doctor. Full refund if a note cannot be issued on clinical grounds.