site.btaBelgium to Scrap Possibility of Undocumented Short-term Sick Leave from Work

Belgium's incoming ruling coalition is preparing to scrap the possibility of short-term absence from work without a doctor's note, local media reported. This possibility was introduced several years ago in order to relieve general practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current rule stipulates that any worker in a company with at least 50 employees can be absent on sick leave for one day and for a total of three days a year without presenting a sick note. Employers opposed this measure because it required them to pay wages and insurance even when their employees were not at work under similar circumstances.

The forthcoming change is linked to the intentions of the future government to limit social spending in the budget. According to a study cited in the media, for 2023 - immediately after the introduction of the possibility of short-term undocumented sick leave from work - such cases increased by over 44%.