Theme: Nordic region tightens sick leave rules
The Nordic region tightens sick leave rules
One of the pillars of Nordic welfare systems is the right to sickness pay. But should employees enjoy the same pay whether or not they are at work? Who decides how long a person can be off sick? What kind of contact should the worker maintain with the employer? These questions are fueling a heated debate in several Nordic countries. Nordic Labour Journal takes a closer look at new measures and rules being tightened.
The constant hunt for ways to limit sick leave
Levels of sick leave vary a lot between the different Nordic countries, yet it seems it gets harder and harder to qualify for sickness benefit - whether the level of sick leave rises or falls. There is no agreement among researchers on what really lies behind these variations, nor on what policies actually work.
Sick leave in Finland: municipalities on the right track
Many Finish municipalities have managed to turn the trend of ever increasing levels of sick leave. As the country's largest municipal employer, the City of Helsinki is developing ways of helping people on long-term sick leave to get back to work.
Focus on ill health means less absence
If you at an early stage enter a dialogue with workers who are ill, you reduce the level of sick leave. That's the experience in the Høje-Taastrup municipality west of Copenhagen.
