- 28 of the 37 countries we cover have a verified statutory sick pay rule; we don't yet have one for Argentina, Australia, China, India, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.
- Who pays splits roughly three ways: the employer pays directly for an initial period in some countries (Germany, the UK), social security pays from day one or soon after in others (France, Spain), and several split the cost, with the employer covering an initial waiting or qualifying period before the state takes over.
- The rate is rarely full pay: most countries we cover set sick pay at a percentage of normal earnings, not 100%, and several reduce the percentage the longer the absence continues.
- Duration varies from a few weeks to employer-paid cover lasting a year or more before any separate long-term disability or invalidity scheme takes over.
| Country | What the law requires | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | A salaried employee keeps full pay for up to 6 weeks of illness, rising to 8 weeks after one year of service, 10 weeks after 15 years and 12 weeks after 25 years, followed by 4 weeks at half pay. | Angestelltengesetz (AngG) |
| Belgium | A white-collar employee on an open-ended contract (or one of at least three months) keeps 100% of their pay, paid by the employer, for the first 30 days of incapacity, whatever their seniority. Health insurance pays from day 31. From 2026, an incapacity within eight weeks of returning to work counts as a relapse. | Suspensions du contrat de travail: maladie et accidents |
| Brazil | The employer pays full salary for the first 15 consecutive days off sick. From the 16th day, the employee receives the INSS sickness benefit (auxÃlio-doença) instead. | Lei nº 8.213/1991 (social security benefits), arts. 59–60 and 71–72 |
| Canada | Up to 3 days of unpaid, job-protected sick leave each calendar year for personal illness, injury or medical emergency, once the employee has worked for the employer for at least 2 consecutive weeks. Since 28 October 2024, employers cannot require a medical note for this leave. | Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Sick leave |
| Colombia | For certified non-work-related illness, the employee receives a sickness allowance for up to 180 days: two-thirds of salary for the first 90 days and half of salary after that. | Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, art. 227 |
| Denmark | Illness counts as lawful absence for a salaried employee. A written contract can allow dismissal on 1 month's notice once the employee has received pay during sickness for a total of 120 days in 12 months. | Funktionærloven (LBK nr 1002 af 24/08/2017) |
| France | Social security pays daily allowances (IJ) of 50% of basic daily pay, capped at €42.97 gross a day, after 3 waiting days. Employees with at least a year's service also get an employer top-up from the 8th day of absence, bringing pay to 90% for the first 30 days and two-thirds for the next 30, with both periods lengthening by 10 days for each 5 further years of service, up to 90 days each. | Arrêt maladie : indemnités journalières versées au salarié (checked 1 June 2026) |
| Germany | An employee unable to work through illness, without their own fault, is entitled to continued pay from the employer for up to six weeks. The entitlement starts after four weeks of uninterrupted employment. | Continued Remuneration Act (EntgFG) |
| Hong Kong | Employees under a continuous contract accumulate paid sickness days (2 a month in the first year, then 4 a month, up to 120). Sickness allowance is four-fifths of average daily wages, generally for sick leave of at least four consecutive days. | A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance |
| Ireland | Employer-paid statutory sick pay of up to 5 days a year after 13 weeks' service, at 70% of normal pay, capped at €110 a day. | Sick Leave Act 2022, S.I. No. 10 of 2024 and S.I. No. 607 of 2022 |
| Italy | INPS sickness benefit is 50% of average daily pay from the 4th to the 20th day and 66.66% from the 21st to the 180th day, up to 180 days a year for open-ended employees. The first 3 days are paid by the employer if the employment contract or collective agreement provides for it. | Indennità di malattia/degenza ospedaliera e visite mediche di controllo |
| Kenya | After two consecutive months of service, at least seven days of sick leave with full pay and then seven days with half pay in each 12 months, with a medical certificate. | Employment Act (Cap. 226) |
| Malaysia | Paid sick leave of 14 days a year for less than 2 years' service, 18 days for 2 to 5 years and 22 days for 5 years or more where no hospitalisation is needed, after examination by a doctor. | Employment Act 1955 (Act 265), reprint as at 1 August 2023 |
| Mexico | For illness not caused by work, IMSS pays a subsidy of 60% of the employee's last registered daily wage from the 4th day of incapacity, for up to 52 weeks (extendable by 26), provided the employee has at least 4 weekly contributions before the illness. | Ley del Seguro Social (consolidated text, last reform DOF 15-01-2026) |
| Netherlands | Employers must pay at least 70% of salary for up to 104 weeks of illness, and at least the minimum wage in the first 52 weeks. | Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, Title 10 (employment contracts) |
| New Zealand | 10 days' paid sick leave a year after 6 months' continuous employment, usable for the employee's own illness or to care for a spouse, partner or dependant. Unused sick leave carries over, up to a maximum entitlement of 20 days. | Holidays Act 2003 |
| Nigeria | Up to 12 working days' wages a year for absence through temporary illness certified by a registered medical practitioner. | Labour Act, Cap L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 |
| Norway | The employer pays sick pay for up to the first 16 calendar days of each period of sickness (the employer period); after that, NAV pays sickness benefit. | Sykepenger i arbeidsgiverperioden |
| Poland | The employer pays 80% of pay for up to 33 days of sickness in a calendar year (14 days from the year after the employee turns 50), or 100% during pregnancy or after an accident on the way to or from work. After that, the employee receives sickness benefit (zasiłek chorobowy) from social insurance, at 80% of the benefit base as standard. | Labour Code (Kodeks pracy) |
| Portugal | Sickness benefit is paid by Social Security, not by the employer, after a 3-day waiting period for employees. | Guia Prático: SubsÃdio de Doença (July 2026) |
| Singapore | From 3 months' service, rising each month to the full entitlement after 6 months: 14 days of paid outpatient sick leave and 60 days of hospitalisation leave (the 60 include the 14). At 3, 4 and 5 months: 5/15, 8/30 and 11/45 days. | Sick leave eligibility and entitlement |
| South Africa | Paid sick leave equal to the days normally worked in six weeks over each 36-month cycle (30 days for a five-day week); during the first six months, one day for every 26 days worked. An employer can ask for a medical certificate for absences of more than two consecutive days or more than two occasions in eight weeks. | Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 |
| Spain | For ordinary illness, the benefit starts on day 4 of sick leave. The employer pays it from day 4 to day 15, and Social Security after that. | General Social Security Act (Ley General de la Seguridad Social), arts. 173 and 179 |
| Sweden | For the first 14 calendar days of an illness the employer pays sick pay of 80% of pay, less a waiting deduction of 20% of a week's sick pay. If a new illness starts within five days of the last, the periods are combined and no new deduction is made. | Lag (1991:1047) om sjuklön |
| Switzerland | If an employee can't work through no fault of their own, such as illness or accident, the employer pays salary for 3 weeks in the first year of service and for an appropriately longer period after that, unless an agreement provides an equivalent arrangement (such as daily sickness insurance). | Obligationenrecht (OR), SR 220 |
| Thailand | Sick leave as needed, paid for up to 30 working days a year; a medical certificate can be required for 3 or more days. At least 3 days a year of paid leave for necessary personal business. | Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), consolidated text to Act No. 7 (2019) |
| United Arab Emirates | After probation, up to 90 days a year: 15 days on full pay, 30 on half pay and 45 unpaid. The employer may not dismiss an employee or serve notice during sick leave. | Types of leaves |
| United Kingdom | Statutory Sick Pay is paid by the employer from the first day of sickness (since 6 April 2026), at £123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings if lower in 2026/27. Employers can't recover SSP from HMRC. | Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 |
Full guide for a specific country
- Full guide
Italy
Labour supply only through authorised agencies (somministrazione), plus TFR and collective agreements
- Full guide
Spain
Ban on illegal transfer of workers (cesión ilegal)
- Full guide
Poland
Temporary-work limit of 18 months in 36
- Full guide
Brazil
High CLT charges; FGTS 40% dismissal penalty
The EOR, as the legal employer, is responsible for applying the local sick pay rule and for running any social security reimbursement process in that country. Ask how its monthly fee treats an employee's absence: whether sick pay is billed separately as it's incurred, or already built into what you pay.
Ask what the EOR needs from the employee to approve paid sick leave (a medical certificate, a notice period), since the requirement and timing vary by country and missing it can affect whether pay is due.
Who pays statutory sick pay, the employer or the state?
Is statutory sick pay the full salary?
Which countries have no statutory sick pay rule in your guides?
Does a medical certificate affect whether sick pay is due?
- 1Austria: Angestelltengesetz (AngG)
RIS (Bundeskanzleramt)
Sick pay (§ 8), probation (§ 19) and notice periods (§ 20) for salaried employees.
- 2Belgium: Suspensions du contrat de travail: maladie et accidents
FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue
White-collar employees keep 100% of pay from the employer for the first 30 days of incapacity; eight-week relapse period from 2026.
- 3Brazil: Lei nº 8.213/1991 (social security benefits), arts. 59–60 and 71–72
Câmara dos Deputados (Legislação Informatizada)
Sickness benefit from the 16th day with the first 15 days paid by the employer (art. 60), and maternity pay paid by the employer and offset against contributions (arts. 71–72).
- 4Canada: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Sick leave
Government of Ontario
Unpaid job-protected sick leave.
- 5Colombia: Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, art. 227
SecretarÃa del Senado (Colombia)
Sickness allowance: two-thirds of salary for 90 days, then half, up to 180 days.
- 6Denmark: Funktionærloven (LBK nr 1002 af 24/08/2017)
Retsinformation
Scope (§ 1), notice (§ 2), severance after 12 and 17 years (§ 2 a), unfair dismissal compensation (§ 2 b) and sickness (§ 5).
- 7France: Arrêt maladie : indemnités journalières versées au salarié (checked 1 June 2026)
Service-Public.fr
Sickness daily allowances, the 3-day waiting period and the employer top-up by length of service.
- 8Germany: Continued Remuneration Act (EntgFG)
gesetze-im-internet.de
§ 3: continued pay from the employer for up to six weeks of illness, after four weeks' employment.
- 9Hong Kong: A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance
Labour Department
Continuous contract (from 18 January 2026), statutory holidays (15 from 2026, 16 from 2028, 17 from 2030), annual leave, sickness allowance, notice, severance and long service payment, and the abolition of MPF offsetting from 1 May 2025.
- 10Ireland: Sick Leave Act 2022, S.I. No. 10 of 2024 and S.I. No. 607 of 2022
Irish Statute Book
s. 5: statutory sick leave after 13 weeks' service; S.I. 10/2024 (https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2024/si/10/made/en/print): 5 days from 2024; S.I. 607/2022 (https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/607/made/en/print): lesser of €110 or 70% of daily pay.
- 11Italy: Indennità di malattia/degenza ospedaliera e visite mediche di controllo
INPS
Sickness benefit rates, duration, who is covered and how it is paid.
- 12Kenya: Employment Act (Cap. 226)
Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting)
Ss. 27 (rest day), 28 (annual leave), 29–29A (maternity, paternity, adoption), 30 (sick leave), 31 (housing), 35–36 (notice), 40 (redundancy), 42 (probation), 43, 45 and 49 (unfair termination).
- 13Malaysia: Employment Act 1955 (Act 265), reprint as at 1 August 2023
Attorney General's Chambers (Laws of Malaysia)
Notice (s 12), maternity (s 37), hours (s 60A), holidays (s 60D), annual leave (s 60E), sick leave (s 60F), paternity (s 60FA), and the RM4,000 exclusions in First Schedule para 1A.
- 14Mexico: Ley del Seguro Social (consolidated text, last reform DOF 15-01-2026)
Cámara de Diputados
Employer contribution rates: arts. 25, 72–73, 106–107, 147, 168 and 211, the 1995 transitional schedule for art. 106 (art. 19 transitorio) and the 2023–2030 CEAV schedule in the December 2020 reform (p. 153); sickness and maternity subsidies (arts. 96–98 and 101–103).
- 15Netherlands: Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, Title 10 (employment contracts)
wetten.overheid.nl
Arts. 7:629 (sick pay), 7:634 (leave), 7:652 (probation), 7:668a (chain rule), 7:669–7:671b (dismissal), 7:672 (notice) and 7:673 (transition payment).
- 16New Zealand: Holidays Act 2003
New Zealand Legislation
Annual holidays (s 16), public holidays (s 44), time and a half and alternative holidays (ss 50, 56), sick leave (ss 63, 65, 66).
- 17Nigeria: Labour Act, Cap L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004
National Library of Nigeria (Compendium of Acts relating to the jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria)
Ss. 11 (notice), 13 (hours), 16 (sick pay), 18 (annual holiday), 20 (redundancy), 54 (maternity) and 91 (definition of 'worker').
- 18Norway: Sykepenger i arbeidsgiverperioden
NAV
The employer pays sick pay for up to 16 calendar days of each sickness period.
- 19Poland: Labour Code (Kodeks pracy)
Internetowy System Aktów Prawnych (ISAP)
Unified text as of 14 Oct 2026 (t.j. Dz. U. 2026 poz. 1245): probation (art. 25), fixed-term limits (art. 25¹), written form (art. 29), termination and reasons (art. 30), notice (art. 36), working time (art. 129), overtime (art. 151¹), annual leave (arts. 154–155), sick pay (art. 92), maternity leave (art. 180), parental leave (art. 182¹ᵃ, 182¹ᶜ), paternity leave (art. 182³) and childcare leave (art. 186) and payment of wages (art. 85).
- 21Singapore: Sick leave eligibility and entitlement
Ministry of Manpower
14 days outpatient and 60 days hospitalisation leave.
- 22South Africa: Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997
South African Government
Department of Labour consolidated text as amended to 2002: hours (s9), overtime (s10), Sunday and holiday pay (ss16, 18), annual leave (s20), sick leave (s22), notice (s37) and severance (s41).
- 23Spain: General Social Security Act (Ley General de la Seguridad Social), arts. 173 and 179
BoletÃn Oficial del Estado (BOE)
Temporary incapacity benefit: for ordinary illness it is paid from day 4, by the employer from day 4 to day 15 (art. 173). Birth and childcare benefit of 100% of the regulatory base (art. 179).
- 24Sweden: Lag (1991:1047) om sjuklön
Sveriges riksdag
Sections 6–7: sick pay of 80% for the first 14 days, less a waiting deduction of 20% of a week's sick pay.
- 25Switzerland: Obligationenrecht (OR), SR 220
Fedlex (Swiss federal law)
Arts. 321c (overtime), 324a (sick pay), 329a (holidays), 329f–329g (maternity and other-parent leave), 335b–335c (probation and notice), 336c (protected periods). Stand am 1. Oktober 2026.
- 26Thailand: Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), consolidated text to Act No. 7 (2019)
Office of the Council of State (Krisdika), hosted by the Ministry of Labour
Ss. 11/1 (supplied workers), 17 and 17/1 (notice), 23–24 and 61–63 (hours and overtime), 28–30 (rest days, holidays, annual leave), 32, 34, 57 and 57/1 (sick and personal leave), 118–119 (severance).
- 27United Arab Emirates: Types of leaves
The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)
Annual, sick, maternity, parental, bereavement and study leave; work on public holidays (Article 28).
- 28United Kingdom: Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027
HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
National Insurance rates and thresholds, pension and statutory payment rates.
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