Sickness-related absences and sickness allowance

A sickness-related absence refers to the time an employee is absent from work due to illness. The reason for a sickness-related absence is usually an illness or disability diagnosed by a physician or nurse that causes incapacity for work. A sick leave certificate can also be issued in certain situations if the condition aggravates at work and alternative work cannot be arranged, or if the employee has to leave work to receive treatment for the illness. In many workplaces, employees can also be absent from work due to illness on their own notice or with the permission of the supervisor without a physician’s or nurse’s sick leave certificate.

Kela pays sickness allowance for the duration of the sick leave if the person is incapable of performing their job. In order for an employee to be eligible for sickness allowance, they need to be incapacitated for work. Incapacity for work is assessed in relation to one’s work. Sickness allowance matters are decided at Kela on the basis of a physician’s statement.

Since suitable, possibly partial work can also support recovery from illness, it is advisable to discuss with occupational health care whether the work can be modified, for example, for a fixed period of time to enable working.

Sickness allowance

An employee can receive sickness allowance from Kela for a period of incapacity for work that lasts less than one year. Sickness allowance involves a waiting period, which usually consists of the first day of illness and the following nine working days, so about two weeks from the start of the sickness-related absence. Working days also include Saturdays. Sickness allowance is paid after the waiting period.

If the employer pays the employee salary for the sickness-related absence period, the sickness allowance can be paid to the employer for the duration of the salary payment period. However, if the sickness-related absence is due to an occupational accident or traffic accident, compensation must be applied from the insurance company.

Sickness allowance is paid for a maximum of 300 working days, which is approximately one year. After reaching the maximum limit, sickness allowance can only be paid again for the same illness after having been fit for work for one year.

Learn more: KelaExternal link

If the incapacity for work continues for more than a year, you can apply for disability pension.

Learn more: Mehiläinen’s work ability services for the early prevention of incapacity for work

Partial sickness allowance

Partial sickness allowance helps people incapable for work to retain their work ability and return to full-time work. Partial sickness allowance is paid for a maximum of 150 working days.

Part-time work and work arrangements are agreed on the basis of an assessment conducted by an occupational health physician or another physician who is familiar with the working conditions, usually by arranging an occupational health negotiation. Learn more: occupational health negotiations

Part-time work can start at the earliest after the waiting period for sickness allowance. Part-time work must last at least for an uninterrupted period of 12 working days, and the working hours must be reduced to 40–60% of the previous working hours.

Partial sickness allowance has its own maximum duration of payment and can be received even if the maximum duration of sickness allowance has been used up.

Read more on Kela’s website: partial sickness allowance and how to applyExternal link

Sick leave certificate

A sick leave certificate is issued by a physician or, in some cases, a nurse or an occupational health nurse. Sick leave certificates cannot be issued retrospectively.

Based on the patient’s symptoms, a nurse can issue a certificate for a sickness-related absence of 1–10 days. The nurse does not make an actual diagnosis. A certificate issued by a nurse is not a medical certificate, and a medical certificate is required for sickness allowance from Kela.

A physician issues a medical certificate for the illness. On the basis of a sick leave certificate, also known as medical certificate A, sickness allowance can usually be paid for a maximum of 60 working days. Following the 60 days, a medical certificate B is required.

Learn more: medical certificate

Sick leave pay

Under the Employment Contracts Act, the employee is entitled to sick pay for the duration of the sickness allowance waiting period. The employer may also pay sick pay for longer than the waiting period, if so agreed in the collective agreement or the employee’s employment contract. For more information, consult your supervisor or HR. If the sickness-related absence continues after the end of salary payment, Kela will pay sickness allowance to the employee.

Falling ill during a holiday

In cases of incapacity for work, the employee’s agreed annual leave is not postponed automatically, but the employee must request a postponement from the employer. In such cases, a sick leave certificate issued by a physician must be presented to the employer.

If the employee is incapable of performing their job when an annual leave is due to begin, the leave must be postponed upon the employee’s request. The employee has the right to postpone the leave or part of it at their request, even if it is already known that they require hospital care during their leave and will be incapacitated for work.

If the incapacity for work begins during the annual holiday, the employee has the right, at their request, to have the sick days that exceed the waiting period postponed to a later time. The waiting period is a maximum of six working days, depending on the annual holiday and collective agreement.

For more information about workplace policies, guidelines and the waiting period, please consult your supervisor.

Sick leave waiting period

The sick leave waiting period refers to the waiting period before qualifying for sick leave during a holiday. The waiting period only applies to employees who are entitled to more than four weeks of annual leave. The waiting period is a maximum of six working days. The duration depends on the annual holiday and the collective agreement.

The six-day waiting period means that the incapacity for work must last for more than six working days or that more than six sick days must be accumulated in total during the entire annual holiday in order for the holiday to be postponed.

Entrepreneur’s illnesses

Entrepreneurs with YEL and MYEL insurance coverage can apply for sickness allowance from Kela. The sickness allowance is determined on the basis of the entrepreneur’s YEL or MYEL earnings. Entrepreneurs not required to take out YEL or MYEL insurance may also receive sickness allowance from Kela.

Learn more on Kela’s websiteExternal link.

If the entrepreneur has an occupational health care agreement, they have access to similar occupational health care services as employees have.

Learn more: Mehiläinen’s occupational health care services for entrepreneurs

If the employee is incapacitated for work for more than 60 days, Kela will assess the need for rehabilitation. For the assessment, the patient must submit medical certificate B to Kela, after which they will receive a letter detailing various rehabilitation options and organisers. In practice, Mehiläinen occupational health care will determine the need for rehabilitation earlier, depending on the illness. Kela may also request medical certificate B earlier.

If the employee’s incapacity for work is prolonged, the employer, employee and occupational health care will work together to assess as early as possible whether the employee can return to work or continue working and determine what arrangements may be required.

After 90 days of sickness allowance at the latest, the occupational health physician must assess the employee’s remaining work ability and the employee’s opportunities to continue working and draw up a statement for the employee. An occupational health negotiation (work ability negotiation) is arranged for the assessment.

The purpose of the negotiation is not to discuss illnesses or their treatment but to focus on work ability. The negotiation can focus on, for example, how the work could be modified so that the employee can return to work.

After the negotiation, the occupational health physician will prepare a statement on the employee’s remaining work ability and the possibility of returning to work using either a medical certificate A or B form. If it is not yet possible to assess the employee’s ability to return to work due to illness, the physician will record the information on medical certificate A.

The expert consulted for this article was Occupational Health Care Specialist Annika Jalli.