The sick leave benefit for the first three days of absence from work will be paid retroactively for the period starting from March 13, and the arrangement will remain in force for all sick leave certificates opened until the end of the emergency situation. 

The rate of the compensation is 70 percent of the person's average income per calendar day. 

Under normal circumstances, no benefit is paid to employees for the first three sick days. 

The Health Insurance Fund also has reminded employers that just like before, they are obliged to pay a compensation to their workers for the fourth to the eighth day of sick leave.  

On Friday, the Health Insurance Fund will start payouts of sick leave pay under sick leave certificates longer than nine days that have been in waiting since the start of the emergency situation. Payments under sick leave certificates shorter than eight days will start in May.

The payout will be made into the bank account shown by the person in their Health Insurance Fund personal account section on the eesti.ee website. Since many people have not shown their bank details there, the Health Insurance Fund is requesting residents to check over their bank account data. 

The change does not affect care leave certificates and maternity leave certificates, benefits under which continue to be paid by the Health Insurance Fund from day one at a rate of 80 percent of the carer's average pay for last year in the case of carers. 

The Health Insurance Fund has been provided with over €7 million in additional funding to pay benefits to residents for the first three days of sickness. In total, the amount of additional money necessary for sick leave benefits is estimated to grow by more than €40 million as a result of an increase in the use of sick leave and care leave.

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