Amendments on sickness benefit passed in final reading

The lawmakers passed in final reading a bill that obliges the employers to pay allowances for three days of sick leave to employees. The bill was adopted by a majority of votes without the amendments applying to agricultural employers, Info-Prim Neo reports. Vladimir Hotineanu, head of the parliamentary commission on social protection, health and family, said the amendments were put forward by the commission on agriculture and food industry, but they were withdrawn as a result of discussions with representatives of the Government. Under the amendments, the employers in agriculture were to pay allowances for one day of sick leave, as earlier. The lawmakers who formulated the proposals argued that in agriculture, besides agricultural associations, there are also peasant farmsteads where the person is both employee and employer. “The Parliament’s commission on agriculture and food industry asked that these three days for farmers should not be paid by the employer. The amendments were not taken into account because farmers’ contributions to the social insurance fund represent 70% and the state pays back 57%. Thus, these concessions cannot be provided,” said Vladimir Hotineanu. By July 2010, the sickness benefit was fully paid from the social insurance funds. In order to reduce the public costs incurred when paying allowances for temporary incapacity for work, it was decided that the first day of sick leave will be covered by the employee, the second by the employer, while the third from the budget. The new amendments oblige the employers to pay allowances for three days of sick leave to the employee, instead of one. The sick pay will be covered from the state social insurance budget starting with the fifth day. The Employers Confederation criticized the initiative, saying this new law will lead to a decrease in the number of workplaces as the economic entities will not be able to cover the additional costs for the employee’s sick leave.