Extending the payment of sickness benefits passed the first reading in the Riigikogu today

NordenBladet —

At today’s sitting of the Riigikogu, the Bill that will extend the duration of the procedure for payment of sickness benefits until the end of next year passed the first reading. According to the Bill, the sickness benefit is paid from the second day of their sick leave.

The Bill on Amendments to the Act on Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Other Acts, and the Act on Amendments to the Employment Contracts Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (456 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, will provide for continuing payment of sickness benefit until the end of 2022 from the second day of sick leave until the fifth day of sick leave by the employer, and from the sixth day of sick leave by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. Thus, the system that is currently in force, and according to which the first day of sick leave is the employee’s own liability, the second to fifth days are the employer’s liability and the liability of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund begins on the sixth day of sick leave, will continue until the end of 2022 pursuant to the Bill.

The explanatory memorandum notes that earlier compensation for days of sick leave enables people to remain at home already when the first symptoms of illness appear without losing significantly in income.

Implementation of the amendment will cause additional expenses of 19 million euro in 2022, of which 12.4 million euro will be covered form the state budget and the rest from the own resources of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund.

The Act is planned to be in force for a specified period of time, from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022.

During the debate, Jevgeni Ossinovski (Social Democratic Party), Oudekki Loone (Centre Party) and Mart Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

The video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Source: Parliament of Estonia