Parliament on December 27 approved upon first reading a bill requiring employers to cover three days of sick leave and not one as at present. The first day of the sick leave will not be covered, the next three days will be covered by the employer and only starting from the fifth day the sick pay will be paid by the government, Info-Prim Neo reports. Deputy Labor Minister Ana Vasilachi explained the measure was intended to reduce the increasingly growing burden on the Social Insurance Budget. “Whereas in 2006 expenses on sick leaves were 231.8 million lei, in 2010 they amounted to 598.2 million lei”. The measure will save the government an estimated amount of 72.74 million lei. Ana Vasilachi specified that sick pays in cases of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer of any type, or threat of miscarriage, as well as maternity pays and sick child benefits will be fully covered by the Social Insurance Budget and starting from the first day of the leave.