Sick leave costs too much: compensation, waiting days, checks… the government's ideas for the budget

The draft finance bill will be presented on October 10, 2024 to the Council of Ministers. The government will have to take a position on the issue of sick leave, which cost €15.8 billion in 2023.

It may have to tighten the screws. As the examination of the PLF in the Council of Ministers, then in Parliament, approaches, the government will have to make choices. And particularly on the issue of sick leave. Several options are available to him to reduce expenses.

This year, indicates Le Parisien, work stoppages are expected to cost 17 billion euros, including 7.7 million euros fraudulent.

Compensation

Lowering the maximum compensation ceiling would save €600 million. It would go from 1.8 to 1.4 SMIC, without penalizing the lowest salaries.

Furthermore, the government could reduce spending by reducing the rate of social security coverage from 50 to 45%, notes France Inter. Problem: there could be inequalities between employees of different companies, depending on how the employer supplements this coverage.

Waiting days

Significant savings, but a "solution" very controversial: the extension of the waiting period. For private sector employees, increasing this period from three to seven days would represent a billion in savings for social protection.

Review

As for the fight against fraudulent leave, several measures were decreed this summer. Employees will now have to, at the request of their employer, provide their place of rest in the event of sick leave, states the website of the Public Service. And if the "free exits" are permitted by the doctor, the employee must indicate to his company the times at which a follow-up visit can take place.

These follow-up visits expose the employee to a suspension of his benefits if the doctor in charge of this examination considers the stoppage unjustified.

From the consultation

More broadly, the reimbursement of consultations could change, note Les Échos. The government is reportedly considering reducing the share of health insurance in the reimbursement of consultations. Conversely, the share of complementary health insurance should therefore increase.

The Ministry of Health has not confirmed this hypothesis. The complementary insurance companies estimate this transfer of charges at around one billion euros.