This free sickness absence tracker gives UK employers one Excel sheet to log every period of sick leave. Enter the employee, first day off and return date, and it counts calendar and working days lost, flags when a fit note is due, and records self-certification and return-to-work interviews. Totals can cover one year or all years.
What does the tracker record?
Each row is one absence, so the same person can appear several times. The columns are:
- Employee Name, Department, Absence From and Return to Work
- Calendar Days and Working Days, calculated
- Reason Category: short-term illness, hospital appointment, mental health, caring responsibilities or other
- Self-Cert Submitted?, Fit Note Needed? and RTW Interview Done?
- Notes
An ongoing absence with no return date stays blank in the day counts until the person is back. Dates are entered as dd/mm/yyyy.
How does the fit note check work?
Fit Note Needed? counts calendar days, not working days, because a fit note can be asked for once someone has been off for more than 7 days in a row, including weekends and other non-working days. A 10-day absence shows Yes and a 2-day absence shows No. If your policy uses a different trigger, change the 7 in the SETTINGS cell.
What changed for Statutory Sick Pay in 2026?
From 6 April 2026 SSP is paid from the first day of sickness, with no waiting days, and there is no lower earnings limit. The weekly rate is £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. The tracker does not calculate SSP, but the working days column helps you check payroll.
If you employ staff as a sole trader, your own Self Assessment records may soon move to Making Tax Digital for sole traders.
