Sick leave: why it may be much more complicated to obtain it in 2024 ?

En 2024, il sera davantage compliqué d'obtenir un arrêt maladie MAXPPP – Richard Villalon

According to the executive, too many sick leaves of convenience have been prescribed in recent years. As a result, the government has launched several measures to combat fraud, particularly regarding sick leave via teleconsultation.

The government is signaling the end of recess regarding sick leave. With too many complacency shutdowns in recent years, the Social Security accounts are not at their best. Indeed, spending on daily sickness benefits jumped by 60%, going from eleven billion euros in 2010 to sixteen billion in 2022, reports La Dépêche.

8.8 million sick leaves in 2022 were attributed compared to 6.4 million ten years ago. Some doctors would grant sick leave to people who are not always sick. Thus, the Executive wants to tighten the rules.

The objective is to put several thousand so-called “major prescribers” under surveillance.  The latter prescribe two to four times more sick leave than their colleagues. Consequence: the social security bill soars. These doctors will be placed under surveillance with a "objective setting"to get closer to the average of their colleagues.

Change for teleconsultations

The rules around sick leave prescribed during consultation are also changing. They are now limited to a maximum of three unless it is the usual attending physician who conducted the teleconsultation or if the patient was unable to obtain a physical appointment to renew his work leave. 

35% of employees took sick leave in 2022 according to the Apicil barometer with an average duration of 22.13 days.