If you are unable to work due to illness or an accident, you no longer have to present a doctor’s note for the first day that you stay at home. Per calendar year, you are entitled to 3 such sick days without a doctor’s note.
This exemption applies both for a one-day absence and for the first day of a longer period of illness. Two consecutive sick days without a doctor’s note, however, are not allowed. So, once you stay home sick a second day, you still have to provide a medical certificate to your employer.
If you fall ill during the course of your working day and therefore go home early, this day is not yet counted as a sick day. Are you absent the next day due to illness? Then this is considered the first day of illness and you do not need to send a doctor’s note for this day.
As of 1 January 2024, you can also convert your vacation days into sick days if you were to fall ill during your planned holiday. In this article, we tell you more about this new legislation.
Even with the exemption of a doctor's note, you obviously cannot simply stay home from work without taking the necessary measures. First, you must immediately inform your employer of your incapacity for work and your need for a sick day.
As your employer may still subject you to a medical check-up, you’re also required to provide your employer with the address you’re staying at if this were to differ from your usual residence.
For smaller companies, it’s not always easy to accommodate unforeseen absences. Therefore, companies with fewer than 50 employees on 1 January are allowed to deviate from this new legislation for the following calendar year. In other words, employers of such companies can still demand a medical certificate from the first sick day of their employees.
Note that this is only allowed if your employer has explicitly included this deviation from the law in your employment regulations or in a collective agreement (cao). Moreover, as soon as your company welcomes its 50th employee during the course of a certain year, then the deviation will automatically no longer apply as of 1 January of the following year.
Discover the insurance that gives you access to professional medical advice from your vacation destination, thanks to the new remote medical consultation service.
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Also consider"},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"articleCard","cardType":"article","cardSize":"medium","title":"Skiing assistance","body":"Make the most of your winter sports holiday and hit the slopes with peace of mind, thanks to the skiing assistance coverage which is systematically included in your travel insurance.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/d303906e-3a98-4e2b-8b4a-415c466340a5/Empty-road-amidst-trees-during-winter","type":"image","width":5197,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/756c2fa35d0e1470/original/Empty-road-amidst-trees-during-winter.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"date":"2023-12-14","link":{"url":"/en/individuals/insurance/skiing-assistance"}},{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Ready for your holidays?","intro":"Download this travel checklist to not forget anything before you leave","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/22a334e7-944a-4c27-87be-30e753990644/icon-travelbag","type":"image","width":288,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/17895a7c5104aecf/original/icon-travelbag.png","extension":"png"},"link":{"url":"https://assets.ing.com/m/2b6df4dece500844/original/Travelchecklist_EN.pdf"}},{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Travel insurance","intro":"Insurer: Inter Partner Assistance S.A./nv","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/5033530a-0c29-4b07-84a4-dba331f49c8b/go-abroad-risks-1920","type":"image","width":1920,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/847b64335c2eeb/original/go-abroad-risks-1920.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/individuals/insurance/travel-insurance"}},{"componentType":"articleCard","cardType":"article","cardSize":"medium","title":"Ill during your holiday? Here’s the new legislation","body":"Being ill during your holiday is the last thing anyone wants to experience. Fortunately, there’s a new legislation in place to ease the pain.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/1e53dfd6-3a5f-4b67-9c6d-945dfb507a49/Close-up-of-a-person-holding-up-a-fever-thermometer-to-check-the-body-temperature","type":"image","width":5832,"altTextFR":"Gros plan d'une personne tenant un thermomètre pour vérifier la température du corps.","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/7c11135a7db312d9/original/Close-up-of-a-person-holding-up-a-fever-thermometer-to-check-the-body-temperature.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"date":"2024-01-29","link":{"url":"/en/individuals/insurance/ill-during-holiday"}}]}]}}}