Will I have a sick certificate to cover my time off for the donation? How do most employers react?

If you are donating via the bone marrow collection method, you will need to take one week of leave from work or study. This will cover your three days in hospital plus a four-day recovery period. If you are donating blood stem cells via the PBSC method, the G-CSF medication you will receive will not affect your ability to work. However, you will need to take time off work for your medical examination, plus another two days for the blood stem cell collection. You will not need any more time off work after that. If after the donation you happen to become sick, your regular GP will be able to issue a sick certificate for you.

In our experience, the vast majority of employers respond positively to the news that one of their staff is being invited to donate blood stem cells. If you are not covered by your employer, DKMS has a financial assistance programme that deals with lost wage compensation.