Getting sick

Falling ill in the employment relationship

The employer pays sick pay, either by law or under the applicable collective agreement. According to the law, sick pay is paid for the day of illness and the following nine working days within a working day.

If the working hours are varied, entitlement to sick pay arises if the shift during the period of incapacity for work is entered in the shift roster, has otherwise been agreed or it is clear that the worker would have worked if he or she had been fit for work.

If the employment relationship has lasted at least one month at the time the incapacity for work begins, the employee is paid full pay for the period of sick leave. If the period of employment is less than one month, half pay is paid for the same period. On request, the worker must provide the employer with a reliable statement of his incapacity for work.

Collective agreements usually have better conditions than the law on sick pay. Check the collective agreement applicable to your employment relationship to see for which period the employer is obliged to pay sick pay.

When your employer stops paying your wages, you can apply for sickness allowance from Kela to compensate for loss of earnings during a period of incapacity for work of less than a year.

If you are returning to work after a long period of sick leave, it is worth discussing with your employer about return to work support and possible adjustments to your work.

An employee has the right to be ill, and illness is, for example, a prohibited ground for dismissal under the Employment Contracts Act. You do not have to work when you are ill.

Getting sick as an entrepreneur

You can get sickness allowance if you have been unable to work for at least the deductible period, i.e. the day you fell ill and the following 9 working days. If you are self-employed or on a grant, you are also entitled to sickness allowance from Kela.

If you have a valid YEL insurance policy at the start of your incapacity for work, you may be entitled to YEL daily allowance for the excess period of sickness allowance.

If you have a valid MYEL insurance policy at the start of your incapacity for work, you may be entitled to sickness allowance paid by Mela for the period of the sickness allowance excess. Kela will forward your application for MELA sickness allowance to Mela on your behalf.

If you have both insurances, you can get both YEL daily allowance and Mela sickness allowance for the excess period.

Falling ill while unemployed

If you are out of work for more than 10 working days, you can claim sickness allowance instead of unemployment benefit. It is worth switching to sick pay because you will not lose your unemployment benefit if you are offered a job that you cannot take up when you are ill. In addition, you will not use up the maximum period of unemployment benefit during your illness.

If the illness persists for a long time, possible benefits include rehabilitation allowance and disability pension. Rehabilitation allowance is a temporary disability pension granted when your ability to work is impaired due to illness or injury, but it is estimated that it can be restored with treatment or rehabilitation. The aim is to enable the person to return to work or study after rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation allowance can be paid by either the employment pension institution or Kela, and the amount is based on the pension accrued before the onset of the disability and the pension portion for the future period. You can apply for rehabilitation allowance if you have been unable to work for at least one year. The application must be accompanied by a medical certificate.

If your ability to work does not return during rehabilitation, your rehabilitation allowance may become a permanent disability pension. For more information and application instructions, contact Kela or the Employment Pension Institution, for example.

A temporary disability pension may be granted if your capacity for work is not recovering. The disability pension can be paid by either the employment pension institution or Kela, and is based on the pension accrued before the onset of the disability. If the disability continues until retirement age, the disability pension becomes a retirement pension.