People in England can stay off work for 28 days without having to provide proof of their illness under new coronavirus measures.
Workers have been told of their new rights by unions, which together with a change in testing rules announced this week could see people decide to stay home.
MPs have called for the government to reverse the rule change with worries it could make the staffing crisis worse, reports The Telegraph.
Hospitals, schools and councils as well as train companies are among those that are already scrapping services because of a lack of staff as Omicron cases continue to soar.
Read more: Free NHS prescriptions 'could be axed' from April
Before the rule change, anyone staying off work for more than eight days with an illness would need to get a sick note, HullLive reports .
But the change, which was made to free up doctors to deliver the vaccine, now means workers can stay off for 28 days without seeing a GP.
However, combined with changes to the testing rules, it could see thousands of people decide to stay home.
And from 11 January you will not need to take a follow-up PCR test if you get a positive result with a lateral flow test taken yourself at home.
Public sector union Unison told its members: “The UK Government has made a temporary change to the provision of ‘fit notes’ until January 27 2022.
"If you [had gone] off sick on or after December 10, 2021, employers can only ask employees for proof of sickness (such as a fit note) after 28 days of sickness (including non-working days).”
Unite told members: “Proof of sickness cannot be requested earlier than 28 days”.
More than 20 NHS trusts have already declared critical incidents, 10 percent of train workers are off sick or isolating and there are fears schools will soon return to online teaching as the Government says staff absences will rise.
