On average, around 65,000 employees were absent from work each day due to sick leave. HZZO closed only 26% of the reviewed cases, whereas previously, one in three sick leave cases under review would be terminated by inspectors. This indicates that employees are now more likely to take sick leave for valid reasons, noted Veronika Laušin, Deputy Director of HZZO.
"When we close a sick leave case, it doesn’t automatically mean someone was faking illness, it can also mean that the person could have returned to work earlier but remained on leave longer than necessary," Laušin explained at a recent Croatian Health Employers’ Congress.
A total of 23,571 sick leave inspections were carried out last year.
Given that an average of around 65,000 people are on sick leave each day, this represents only a small sample. Every second inspection was routine, while 36% were initiated by employers. In as many as 90% of cases, no irregularities were found, Laušin stated.