Sick leaves for first-day employees with respiratory illness will be paid for by the state

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Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (JV) said today after a meeting with the parties forming the government that such a decision was made in the face of employers. This is so that employees do not go to work if they feel the symptoms of the disease, but take the Covid-19 test.

The proposals developed by the Ministry of Welfare (MoW) were discussed on Monday in a group led by Minister of Finance Jānis Reirs (JV) to support business and employees, but in the afternoon also among coalition partners. On Tuesday, November 10, the Cabinet of Ministers will decide on this proposal.

MoE and MoW have developed an offer to help entrepreneurs whose employees are ill or their work team is forced to quarantine due to the disease caused by Covid-19.

It has been agreed that in case of respiratory illness, the employee will be issued with incapacity sheet B from the first day of incapacity until the day of the Covid-19 test result – if the test is positive, the employee will continue to receive incapacity card B.

On the other hand, if the test is negative, incapacity sheet B (on average three days) will be issued on the days of performance and waiting, which will be replaced by incapacity sheet A.

“The EM welcomes the support of our initial proposal to pay for sick leave for workers with respiratory illnesses, as it is extremely important that people with symptoms of any acute illness do not go to work in this time of Covid-19 infection,” the EM said.