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Max sickness days - employee
Hi Guys
does someone know how it works with sickness days in Belgium. I Am an employee which unfortunately had to be on sick leave for 30 days. Up to this moment my employer paid the salary and I am told if the sickness continues, salary will be paid in proportions by the social insurance.
I am back to work now, just wondering if I get sick again for the same reason if I do have to start directly with sickness paid by the social insurance or not?
http://www.partena-professional.be/media/1429962/brochure-employing-peop...
4.7.1
Sick leave
In case of sickness or accident, the employee is entitled to a statutory sick pay during the first 30 days of absence, payable
by the employer. The rate of the sick pay, based on the normal salary, depends on the nature of the contract (white- or blue-
collar worker), and on the length of his service to the employer).
After this period, the employee will receive sickness benefits, payable by the Heath Insurance Fund (Mutuelle/Ziekenfonds).
To be entitled to his sick pay at his employer’s expense, the employee has to respect some legal obligations, amongst which
the immediate information of his employer of his incapacity to work. The employer is allowed to request from the employee
the delivery of a medical statement (medical certificate). Besides the employer may entrust the task of ascertaining the
sickness to an independent medical officer, called controller-officer. Since 01/01/2014, the employer can foresee the
obligation for the employee to stay at home during 4 consecutive hours fixed in a Collective Labour Agreement or in the
employment regulation each day of sickness in order to allow the control by the independent medical officer.
Is your real concern how this might affect your income?
My wife was off work long term and this was how it worked for her.
For the first month she received her normal salary from her employer.
For the next 11 months she was paid by the mutuelle at the rate of around 90% of her normal salary - in other words, when you factor in the expenses of actually going to work, she was not really any worse off.
After the first year she was paid by the mutuelle at the rate of around 60% of her normal salary - with significantly less tax to pay and so on, she was worse off but not by much more than around 15%.
