Photo taken from the platform Freepik.

The latest data from the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) show that sick leave abuse in Croatia is declining, despite a slight increase in the overall sick leave rate.

Last year, the sick leave rate was 3.77 percent, while around 65,000 employees were absent from work every day due to sick leave. HZZO inspectors reviewed 20,000 cases and closed 26 percent of sick leaves, which is less than in previous years when every third inspected sick leave was closed. “This means that workers in Croatia are increasingly using sick leave legitimately,” emphasizes Veronika Laušin, deputy director of HZZO (source: net.hr).

Human stories behind the statistics

Although abuses are rare, certain cases still attract attention. HZZO deputy director Veronika Laušin highlights the example of a worker whose vacation request was not approved, so instead of annual leave, he opened sick leave and traveled to northern Europe. When inspectors came to his address, they were greeted by a family member with the words: “He went on a trip.” His sick leave was immediately closed. “Such cases are the exception, not the rule,” Laušin emphasizes, noting that most Croatian workers use their right to sick leave honestly.

Inspections only when there is suspicion

In Croatia, employers' requests for sick leave inspections have decreased significantly in recent years. The reason is a legal amendment according to which each request must be supported by reasonable suspicion of abuse. “Before, employers often requested inspections even for workers who were genuinely ill, which was unsustainable,” says Laušin. Today, inspections are carried out only when there are clear indicators of possible irregularities.

Most sick leave justified

During the past year, HZZO carried out a total of 23,571 sick leave inspections, which is a small sample considering that an average of around 65,000 people are on sick leave every day. In as many as 90 percent of cases, no irregularities were found. “Most often, after the inspection, the sick leave continues because the workers are truly ill,” states Laušin.