Rules about notifying the employer 



To claim SSP, the employee must notify the employer. Although an employer can have its own notification rules for payment of occupational sick pay (to the extent that it exceeds SSP), when it comes to SSP the position is different. An employee claiming SSP cannot be required to notify the employer in person, and does not have to provide a doctor’s certificate (known as a Statement of Fitness for Work or “Fit Note”) for the first seven days of absence.