Navigating Sick Leave in Israel: Rights, Compensation, and Regulations
A comprehensive guide by labor experts outlines Israeli sick leave regulations, compensation rules, medical certificate requirements, and employee protection rights during winter illness season.
As winter arrives, it brings seasonal illnesses such as flu, colds, and coughs, forcing many employees to stay home. This recurring challenge strains workplaces with staff shortages and redistributed workloads. Beyond winter illnesses, reserve military duty continues to impact workplaces across Israel, requiring employers to adjust accordingly. Despite the frequency of sick leaves, many employees and employers remain unaware of their legal rights and obligations.
With guidance from Adv. Ran Confino, VP of the Legal and Labor Relations Department at the Histadrut HaLeumit, here is a comprehensive guide to sick leave regulations in Israel.
Compensation and Calculation of Sick Leave
Under Israeli law, sick leave compensation is not paid for the first day of illness. Employees receive 50% of their salary for the second and third days, and full pay from the fourth day onward, up to the balance of accumulated sick days, unless a more favorable workplace agreement applies.
Absence due to illness does not require employer approval, unlike vacation days. Employers are strictly prohibited from demanding that sick employees come to work. Employees must submit a medical certificate within three days of the first day of absence. Since September 2024, digital certificates without a doctor's signature can be obtained from health funds under specific regulatory conditions.
Accrual, Family Sickness, and Termination Protection
Employees accrue 1.5 sick days per full month of work, totaling 18 days annually, up to a cap of 90 days. Certain sectors, such as security guards, accrue two days per month up to 130 days. Unused sick days carry over from year to year but cannot be cashed out upon termination unless specified by a collective agreement.
Parents of children up to age 16 can use up to 8 days per year of their accumulated sick leave for a sick child (16 days for single parents), and up to 90 days in severe cases. Similar provisions exist for caring for a dependent spouse or parent under strict medical criteria.
By law, employers are prohibited from firing an employee during certified sick leave, up to the accumulated limit of 90 days, with specific exceptions such as prior termination notice or company liquidation.
