From next year, the employers may pay benefit for five days of sick leave, not for three as now, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a bill with amendments to a number of fiscal-budgetary policy documents for 2013, Info-Prim Neo reports. The authorities say the decision to increase the number of days for which the employer pays sickness benefit to the employee was taken in a move to stimulate the employers to create optimal work conditions for the employees. According to the bill authors, the costs for paying sickness benefit increase every year. In 2006, they totaled 231.8 million lei, while in 2010 – 417.71 million lei. Such a situation is mainly to the employers’ neglect of the need to create favorable work conditions. The Ministry of Finance proposed that the benefit for five days of sick leave should be paid by the employer, while for the sixth and subsequent days from the state social insurance budget. The sick pay to unemployed persons will be fully covered from the state social insurance budget. Earlier, the authorities decided that the employee will cover the costs for the first day of the sick leave, while the employer for the next three days. After ombudspersons filed a challenge, the Constitutional Court invalidated the provision obliging the employees to pay the costs for the first day of sick leave themselves and ordered removing it.