Good news for civil servants and contract workers in the state civil service. Thanks to an interministerial agreement on the improvement of pension guarantees signed on October 20, 2023, the situation of seriously ill state public officials has now improved.
A decree implementing the pension agreementpublished on June 27, 2024, improves the terms and remuneration of long-term or serious illness leave. Its changes came into force on September 1, 2024.
What is long-term or serious illness leave?
In the event of incapacity for work or temporary incapacity, public officials may benefit, under certain conditions, from leave for health reasons. If they suffer from a serious illness affecting them for several years, they may, under certain conditions, benefit from:
- long-term sick leave (CLM) of a maximum duration of 3 years if they are civil servants;
- from serious illness leave (CGM) of a maximum duration of 3 years if they are contract agents.
To be placed on long-term or serious illness leave, you must suffer from a pathology which:
- put you in the inability to exercise your functions;
- makes necessary a treatment and some extended care;
- and presents a disabling nature and confirmed severity.
Better paid leave
Since September 1, 2024, the remuneration paid to State public employees placed on long-term or serious illness leave has increased.
Previously, they received their full index salary (basic pay) during the first year of leave, then half the following two years. Their compensation scheme was, however, not paid to them at all.
Now they receive:
- 100% of their basic salary and 33% of their compensation plan for the first year of leave;
- 60% of their salary index and their compensation plan in the second and third years.
Access to serious illness leave for state contract workers made easier
Another development: the conditions for public law contract agents of the State to benefit from serious illness leave have been relaxed. Since September 1, only 4 months of service are necessary to be entitled to it, regardless of contracts and ministries. Previously, it was necessary to prove at least 3 years of service.
State contract workers’ rights in the event of ordinary illness improved
Finally, the coverage of ordinary sick leave (CMO) for State contract workers is also improved. If the seniority of the contract agent is greater than 4 months, he will now receive his full salary for 3 months, then half for the following 9 months.
Previously, he benefited from:
- one month at full pay and one month at half pay after 4 months of service;
- from 2 months at full pay and from 2 months at half pay after 2 years of service;
- from 3 months at full pay and from 3 months at half pay after 3 years of service.
Furthermore, all short-term contracts carried out in the public sector are now taken into account for the calculation of seniority, without any conditions of duration or continuity. Previously, “Contract workers on fixed-term contracts, even with a lot of seniority, were not entitled to sick leave if they were hired after a break between two contracts. They had to wait 4 months of seniority in the new contract to regain their rights.”specifies the Unsa Civil Service on son site Internet.
