Disability, Work and Inclusion in Korea
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Annex D. Key parameters of social protection for sick workers in OECD Countries
Table A D.1. Waiting period and maximum duration of statutory paid sick leave schemes
Situation as of June 2019
Country |
Waiting period (days) |
Maximum duration |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
Employer-provided sick pay (days) |
Sickness benefits (days) |
Total social protection (weeks) |
||
Australia |
0 |
10 |
182 |
27 |
Austria |
0 |
70-1121 |
182-3641 |
32-581,2 |
Belgium |
0 |
30 |
334 |
52 |
Canada |
7 |
10 |
185 |
28 |
Chile |
0 |
3 |
728 |
104 |
Colombia |
0 |
2 |
180 |
26 |
Costa Rica |
0 |
3 |
No limit |
No limit |
Czech Republic |
0 |
14 |
366 |
54 |
Denmark |
0 |
30 |
154 |
26 |
Estonia |
3 |
5 |
182 |
27 |
Finland |
0 |
9 |
300 |
44 |
France |
3 |
601 |
364 |
521,2 |
Germany |
0 |
42 |
546 |
84 |
Greece |
0 |
15 |
720 |
1032 |
Hungary |
0 |
15 |
364 |
54 |
Iceland |
0 |
311 |
364 |
56 |
Ireland |
6 |
- |
364 |
52 |
Israel |
2c |
90 |
- |
13 |
Italy |
0 |
3 |
180 |
26 |
Japan |
3 |
- |
546 |
78 |
Korea |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Latvia |
1 |
10 |
172 |
26 |
Lithuania |
0 |
2 |
122 |
18 |
Luxembourg |
0 |
91 |
546 |
91 |
Mexico |
3 |
- |
364 |
52 |
Netherlands |
23 |
728 |
- |
104 |
New Zealand |
0 |
10-201 |
No limit |
No limit |
Norway |
0 |
16 |
364 |
54 |
Poland |
0 |
33 |
182 |
31 |
Portugal |
3 |
- |
No limit |
No limit |
Slovak Republic |
0 |
10 |
364 |
53 |
Slovenia |
0 |
30 |
No limit |
No limit |
Spain |
3 |
12 |
365 |
54 |
Sweden |
0 |
14 |
No limit |
No limit |
Switzerland |
0 |
211 |
720 |
106 |
Türkiye |
2 |
- |
No limit |
No limit |
United Kingdom |
3 |
196 |
- |
28 |
United States |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Note: Regulations in place in June 2019, except for Israel, Japan, and Türkiye (2018), and Australia, Korea, New Zealand and the United States (February 2022). “-“: System does not exist.
1. Legislation depends on tenure.
2. Employees can receive employer-provided sick pay and sickness benefits (partly) at the same time.
3. Waiting period is generally reduced in collective agreements.
Source: European Commission’s Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC); United States’ Social Security Administration’s Social Security Programs Throughout the World (SSPTW).
Table A D.2. Benefit payment rates during statutory sick leave (sickness benefit or sick pay)
Situation as of June 2019
Country |
Evolution of benefit rate during leave |
Minimum rate |
Maximum rate |
Payment per week |
Additional information |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum (EUR) |
Maximum (EUR) |
|||||
Australia |
Decreasing |
Fixed amount |
100% |
Sickness benefits at fixed amount (AUD 573 per two weeks, or about EUR 187 per week) |
||
Austria |
Decreasing |
60% |
100% |
215 |
1 205 |
During part of the duration, persons receive employer-provided sick pay and sickness benefits at the same time |
Belgium |
Decreasing |
60% |
100% |
... |
713 |
|
Canada |
Flat rate |
55% |
... |
442 |
Fixed weekly maximum amount (CAD 650 or EUR 450) |
|
Switzerland |
Flat rate |
80-100% |
... |
... |
Employers can voluntarily choose between private insurers |
|
Chile |
Flat rate |
100% |
75 |
550 |
||
Colombia |
Decreasing |
50% |
100% |
21 |
691 |
The employer pays 100% of the employee’s earnings during the first two days of sick leave |
Costa Rica |
Increasing |
50% |
60% |
60 |
- |
The employer pays 50% of the employee’s earnings during the first three days of sick leave |
Czech Republic |
Decreasing, then increasing |
60-72% |
- |
266 |
There are three income brackets with different replacement rates. Replacement rates are more generous for employer-provided sick pay than for sickness benefits. Replacement rates of sickness benefits become more generous over the course of a single sickness spell |
|
Germany |
Decreasing |
80% |
100% |
- |
529 |
|
Denmark |
Decreasing |
Fixed amount |
100% |
- |
599 |
Fixed amount for sickness benefits (DKK 120 or EUR 16 per working hour) |
Spain |
Increasing |
60% |
75% |
- |
704 |
|
Estonia |
Flat rate |
70% |
- |
- |
||
Finland |
Decreasing |
70% |
100% |
139 |
- |
No maximum payment. Above earnings of EUR 30 962, limited earnings are taken into account |
France |
Decreasing |
50% |
90% |
- |
225 |
Collective agreements generally specify higher employer-provided sick pay replacement rates |
United Kingdom |
Fixed amount |
115 |
Fixed amount for weekly sickness benefits (GBP 96 or EUR 109) |
|||
Greece |
Increasing |
50% |
70% |
... |
... |
|
Hungary |
Decreasing |
50% |
70% |
- |
138 |
|
Ireland |
Four fixed amounts depending on earnings levels |
93 |
208 |
|||
Iceland |
Decreasing |
Fixed amount |
100% |
- |
62 |
Most collective agreements contain employer-provided sick pay clauses. The low fixed amount sickness benefit level (EUR 62) is only for persons not covered by such agreements. Iceland has 90% collective bargaining coverage rates |
Israel |
Increasing |
50% |
100% |
... |
... |
The replacement rates are 75% if under collective agreement |
Italy |
Decreasing, then increasing |
50%1 |
100% |
- |
- |
100% for the first 3 days, then 50% then 67%. The replacement rate is lower is hospitalized (20% instead of 50%) |
Japan |
Flat rate |
67% |
... |
... |
||
Korea |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Lithuania |
Flat rate |
62% |
2 |
404 |
||
Luxembourg |
Flat rate |
100% |
482 |
2 411 |
||
Latvia |
Increasing |
75% |
80% |
- |
688 |
|
Mexico |
Flat rate |
60% |
13 |
274 |
||
Netherlands |
Flat rate |
70% |
189 |
759 |
The replacement rate can be 100% under collective agreement |
|
Norway |
Flat rate |
100% |
... |
1 122 |
||
New Zealand |
Decreasing |
Fixed amount |
100% |
132 |
132 |
Sickness benefits at fixed amount (NZD 227 or EUR 135 per week) |
Poland |
Flat rate |
80%1 |
- |
- |
The replacement rate is lower if hospitalized – 70% |
|
Portugal |
Increasing |
55% |
75% |
101 |
- |
|
Slovak Republic |
Increasing |
25% |
55% |
- |
279 |
|
Slovenia |
Increasing |
80% |
90% |
55 |
- |
|
Sweden |
Decreasing |
75% |
80% |
11 |
535 |
The replacement rate decreases only after 1 year |
Türkiye |
Flat rate |
67%1 |
26 |
192 |
The replacement rate is lower if hospitalized – 50% |
|
United States |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
Note: “-“: System parameter does not exist. “..”: no information available.
1. Payment rates are lower for hospitalised workers.
The parameters refer to an eligible full-time private-sector employee who is married with no kids, age 40, earning an average wage and working with the same employer for one year, who experiences temporary non-work-related sickness without being hospitalised. Minimum payment per week refers to the lowest possible payment, from either employer-provided sick pay or sickness benefits. Maximum payment per week refers to the highest possible payment, again from either employer-provided sick pay or sickness benefits. Regulations refer to June 2019, except for Israel, Japan, Korea, Türkiye and the United States (2018), and Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States (February 2022).
Source: European Commission’s Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC); United States’ Social Security Administration’s Social Security Programs Throughout the World (SSPTW).
Table A D.3. Funding of statutory social protection programmes for sick workers
Situation as of 2018
Country |
Funding system |
Contribution rates for countries with social insurance funding systems |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Covered benefits |
Contribution rates |
||||
Employee |
Employer |
Government |
|||
Australia |
EPSP + taxes |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Austria |
EPSP + SI |
SB, MB |
3.78% |
3.87% |
- |
Belgium |
EPSP + SI |
SB, DB |
1.15% |
2.2% |
Annual subsidy |
Canada |
SI |
SB, MB, UB |
1.62% |
2.27% |
- |
Chile |
EPSP + SI |
SB, MB |
7% |
- |
- |
Colombia |
EPSP + SI |
SB, MB |
4% |
8.5%1 |
- |
Costa Rica |
EPSP + SI |
SB, HI |
5.5% |
9.25% |
0.25% |
Czech Republic |
EPSP + SI |
SB, WCB, MB |
- |
2.3% |
Finances any deficit |
Denmark |
EPSP + taxes |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Estonia |
EPSP + SI |
SB, WCB, MB |
- |
13% |
- |
Finland |
EPSP + SI |
SB |
1.53% |
0.86% |
Finances any deficit |
France |
EPSP + SI |
SB, DB, MB, SuB |
- |
13.3% |
- |
Germany |
EPSP + SI |
SB, HI, MB |
7.3%-9%2 |
7.3% |
Annual subsidy3 |
Greece |
EPSP + SI |
SB, MB |
0.4% |
0.25% |
Annual subsidy |
Hungary |
EPSP + SI |
SB, WCB, MB, UB |
3% |
19.5% |
Finances any deficit |
Iceland |
EPSP + taxes |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Ireland |
SI |
SB, WCB, MB, UB |
4% |
8.6%-10.9%4 |
Finances any deficit |
Israel |
EPSP + SI |
SB |
… |
… |
… |
Italy |
EPSP + SI |
SB |
- |
2.2%-2.4%5 |
- |
Japan |
SI |
SB, HI, MB |
5%6 |
5%6 |
Contributes about 56% of HI |
Korea |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Latvia |
EPSP + SI |
SB, DB, WCB, HI, MB, UB, PB |
11% |
11% |
|
Lithuania |
EPSP + SI |
SB, MB |
- |
3.6% |
Finances any deficit |
Luxembourg |
EPSP + SI |
SB, MB |
0.25% |
0.25% |
Subsidy of 40% of contributions |
Mexico |
SI |
SB |
0.25% |
0.7% |
0.05% |
Netherlands |
EPSP |
- |
- |
- |
- |
New Zealand |
EPSP + taxes |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Norway |
EPSP + SI |
SB, WCB, MB, UB |
8.2% |
14.1% |
Finances any deficit |
Poland |
EPSP + SI |
SB, MB |
2.45% |
- |
- |
Portugal |
SI |
SB |
0.7% |
0.7% |
- |
Slovak Republic |
EPSP + SI |
SB, MB |
1.4% |
1.4% |
Finances any deficit |
Slovenia |
EPSP + SI |
SB, HI |
6.36% |
6.56% |
- |
Spain |
EPSP + SI |
SB, DB, MB, PB, SuB |
4.7% |
23.6% |
Annual subsidy |
Sweden |
EPSP + SI |
SB, DB |
- |
4.35% |
- |
Switzerland |
EPSP7 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Türkiye |
SI |
SB, MB |
- |
2% |
- |
United Kingdom |
EPSP8 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
United States |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
“-“: System does not exist. “…”: Information not available.
Note: Funding system: EPSP: Employer-provided sick pay. SI: Social insurance.
Covered benefits: SB: Sickness benefits. DB: Disability benefits. WCB: Workers’ compensation. HI: Health insurance (medical benefits). MB: Maternity and/or paternity benefits. UB: Unemployment benefits. PB: Pension benefits. SuB: Survivors benefits.
Earnings definitions on which contributions are levied differ across countries. There may be earning caps, minimum and maximum contributions.
Regulations in place in 2018, except for Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico (2019), and Korea and the United States (February 2022).
1. Employer contributions include vocational training and solidary contributions for social assistance programmes.
2. Employees pay 7.3% and an additional monthly contribution of up to 1.7% that varies by sickness fund.
3. The annual subsidy covers non-insurance benefits provided by the statutory sickness insurance institutions (EUR 14.5 billion in 2017).
4. Employer contributions are 8.6% for employees with earnings below EUR 376, otherwise 10.85%.
5. Employer contributions are 2.2% in manufacturing and 2.44% in commerce and services.
6. Employee and employer contributions vary depending on insurer and region. Average contribution in 2017 was about 5% for employees and employers.
7. Most employers take voluntary private insurance.
8. Persons experiencing temporary sickness can be eligible to a general minimum income benefit with a fixed benefit amount (Employment and Support Allowance). This benefit is paid through social insurance contributions by employees and is not taken into consideration here.
Source: European Commission’s Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC); United States’ Social Security Administration’s Social Security Programs Throughout the World (SSPTW).