Self-certification versus physician certification of sick leave for reducing sickness absence and associated costs

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effects of introducing, abolishing, or changing the period of self‐certification of sickness absence on: the total or average duration (number of sickness absence days) of short‐term sickness absence periods; the total or average number of short‐term sickness absence periods; the associated costs (of sickness absence and (occupational) health care); and social climate, supervisor involvement, and work load or presenteeism ( Figure 1 ).