Off sick — what to do when illness stops your work
One morning you cannot work. This guide covers the first hour: who to tell and what to say. It covers a job left half done, new enquiries, and money while you are off. It ends with what to set up now, before it happens.
You wake up and cannot work today. Tell today’s and tomorrow’s clients first, by phone or text. Give a date you will confirm by. Do not promise a return date yet. Make a half-finished job safe, and say what materials stay on site. Set your own away reply for new enquiries. Sent invoices keep getting their reminders on schedule. Pause a recurring invoice if the work behind it stopped.
A quote prices the job. It says nothing about the morning when you wake up and cannot work. In a one-person business, nobody else can pick up the phone for you. This guide covers the first hour and the messages to send. It also covers three things to set up now.
The first hour: who must hear today
Tell today's client first. Then tell tomorrow's client. Phone if you can. Send a text if a call is too much. One short message stops a client from waiting at home for nobody.
The This week view in BizBinder shows the jobs booked for this week in one list. Start at the top and work down. You do not have to remember each booking.
What to say: short and honest
Say that you are unwell. Do not give medical details. A client does not need them. Give a date when you will confirm a new time, such as tomorrow morning. Do not promise a return date yet. You can keep a confirm-by date on a day that you cannot predict.
The off sick scripts have the words for this message. Use them for today's client and for the other clients this week.
A client with a job half done
Stopping in the middle of a job needs one more step. Make the site safe before you leave. Put your tools away. Turn off anything that must not stay on, such as power or water.
Tell the client what is finished and what is left. Say where the materials will stay until you are back. A client with a clear picture worries less.
New enquiries: a short away reply
A new enquiry still needs a reply, even a short one. Set an away reply on your own phone or email. Give an honest estimate of when you will reply. BizBinder has no away setting, and it does not reply to enquiries for you.
Money while you are off
An invoice that you already sent keeps working while you rest. BizBinder's server sends its reminders on a fixed schedule.
A recurring invoice also keeps going. If the work behind it stops, pause the invoice. Resume it when you are back.
When you rebook a job, change its scheduled date. The job then moves to its new date.
Coming back
Rebook in order of urgency. Then look at how long each client has waited. Do not fill your first week back. A full week straight after an illness can make you ill again.
Before it happens: three things to set up now
Keep your client phone numbers in a place that a partner can find. Then someone else can send a message for you. Name one trade that you trust to cover an urgent job. Write one message now, and keep it where you can find it fast.
Ask your insurer or a financial adviser now about sick pay and income cover.
The scripts for all of this
The off sick pack has seven scripts for these steps. Fill in your details once, and every script updates.
Write your cover trade's number on the free client card. When you are back, plan your week on the week planner.
Common questions
Do I have to tell a client what is wrong with me?
No. Say that you are unwell. Give a date when you will confirm a new time. The rest stays private.
Should I offer a discount for the delay?
No. Illness is not a service failure, so it does not need a discount. Offer a clear new date and keep your price.
What if the client books someone else while I am off?
That is their choice. It is a fair choice for a job that cannot wait. When you are back, rebook the clients who waited for you first.
What if I do not know when I will be back?
Say so. Give the day of your next update, such as tomorrow. A short, honest update is better than a guess.
Want a fast list of who to call first?
BizBinder has no away setting. It does not send messages to clients for you. Its This week view shows the jobs booked for this week in one list. Start at the top and call each client. Sent invoices still get their reminders while you are off. You can pause a recurring invoice if the work behind it stops.
You are on the list.
A person reads every request. You will hear from us within one business day.
- 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
- 02 You get an invite as spots open.
- 03 Your admin starts filing itself.
The free library is open while you wait. Nothing in it needs an account.
- guide How to keep track of jobs without a spreadsheet The six-stage system here is the frame for the tools and sheets in this stage.
- tool Small business admin health check Answer ten quick questions on quoting, invoicing, getting paid, staying organized, and follow-up. You get a score and a plan for your two weakest stages.
- tool Day plan check Enter your start time, your target finish, and up to six jobs with their travel and on-site time. The tool shows if the day fits. It also shows the first job that misses its fixed start time.