Sickness benefit between April 10 and November 9 to be recalculated

Employers are to issue an order to reexamine the applications for sick pay submitted between April 10 and November 9, when the amendments concerning the method of paying sickness benefit came into force, Info-Prim Neo reports. National Social Insurance House head Maria Borta told a news conference that the employees who went on sick leave after April 10 will receive payment for the first day of the leave, which was then not paid. Under the amendments made following an April 10 decision by the Constitutional Court, the employee will receive money for the first day of the sick leave from the social insurance budget, for the next three days from the employer, while for the rest of the days again from the budget. Until June 2011, the sickness benefit had been fully paid from the state social insurance funds. Last summer, the Parliament adopted a legislative initiative put forward by the Government, which made the employees to cover the costs for the first day of the sick leave themselves. The second day was paid by the employer, while the rest of the days from the budget. In January 2012, the employers were obliged to pay for two more days of the sick leave so that the state paid the allowance for temporary incapacity for work from the fifth day of the leave. On April 10, the Constitutional Court decided that the non-payment of the sick leave from the first day is a violation of the employees’ right. The amendments made to the Constitutional Court were published in the Official Gazette on November 9, but took effect retrospectively on April 10.