13:14 1 May 2024
Polish government plans to shift pay of sick leave from employers to ZUS
The new government plans to shift the responsibility of paying sick leave benefits from employers to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) from the first day of leave. This change may benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by reducing the financial burden associated with paying sick leave, said Mikołaj Zając, CEO of Conperio, a labor market advisory dealing with sick leave.
However, paying 100% of the employee's salary during sick leave could encourage more employees to take sick leave unnecessarily, potentially increasing costs by 20%. It has been suggested that funds should instead be allocated for health care improvements.
Another concern is for chronically ill workers who lose income after 182 days of leave; providing full salary during treatment could aid these workers and relieve employers of maintaining employment for an uncertain return date.
Source: WBJ
