This chapter explains financial support for working persons in the Czech Republic when they are incapable to work due to sickness. These benefits are paid from the sickness insurance system.

We will explain how the following benefits work:

• Sickness benefit (dávka v nemoci or nemocenské);
• Attendance allowance (podpora při ošetřování člena rodiny or ošetřovné);
• Long-term attendance allowance (dlouhodobé ošetřovné.

In what situation can I claim?

Persons participating in the sickness insurance are entitled to sickness cash benefit (dávka v nemoci or nemocenské) when they are temporarily incapable to work or in quarantine.

Attendance allowance (podpora při ošetřování člena rodiny or ošetřovné) is paid when an insured person is unable to work because they take care of a sick member of the household or a child under 10 years because the preschool or school facility is closed.

Entitled to long-term attendance allowance (dlouhodobé ošetřovné) are insured persons providing domestic care for their relatives or persons living in the same household. Persons being cared for must give their written consent using a specific form.

By law employees are compulsorily insured against sickness and their employers pay their insurance contributions.

Sickness insurance is voluntary for self-employed persons (see Jargon busters). Only self-employed persons who have registered for the sickness insurance system are eligible for sickness benefits.

Old-age pensioners and invalidity pension beneficiaries are eligible for sickness and family member care benefits if they are working and thus participating in sickness insurance.

What conditions do I need to meet?

Sickness benefit

A person is eligible for sickness benefit if they:

• are employed or self-employed in the Czech Republic;
• pay sickness insurance contributions.

Employees’ participation in sickness insurance is compulsory by law if their monthly income is at least CZK 3,000. Persons working on the basis of a contract for work (see Jargon buster) can only participate in sickness insurance, if the amount of their monthly earnings is more than CZK 10,000.

A person who intentionally causes their incapacity for work is not entitled to sickness benefits.

Only half the sickness benefit is paid when the insured person's incapacity to work has been caused by:

• a brawl;
• as a direct result of intoxication or the ingestion of psychotropic substances;
• the commission of a crime of offence of culpable intent.

Participation in sickness insurance is voluntary for self-employed persons who, if interested, must apply to pay sickness insurance contributions themselves. Their minimum monthly insurance base is CZK 6,000.

The minimum insured term to be eligible for sickness benefits is as follows:

Attendance allowance

Employees who are unable to work are eligible if they are taking care of:

• a sick member of their household;
• a healthy child up to the age of 10 because the pre-school or school facility attended by the child is closed.

Self-employed persons and employees working on the basis of a work contract are not eligible for attendance allowance. Likewise, employees are not eligible for attendance allowance if their spouse is receiving maternity benefits or the parental allowance for the child concerned. An exception is granted if the other parent is sick and cannot care for the child.

The benefit can only be claimed by one member of a household. Parents can alternate in receiving family member care benefits.

Long-term attendance allowance

A serious deterioration of the health of the cared-for person requiring at least 4 days hospitalisation and the need for day-care for at least another 30 days. Long-term care allowance is also granted if the person cared for receives palliative care and long-term care in a home environment (without hospitalisation).

An employee providing care must have been insured at least 90 days in the 4 months immediately preceding the need for care. Self-employed persons must have been insured at least 3 months immediately preceding the need for long-term care.

A written consent is required from the cared-for person.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Sickness benefit

Employees who are sick are entitled to financial support from the first day of their sickness. Payments are made from sickness insurance beginning on the 15th day.

A self-employed person who pays sickness insurance is entitled to sickness benefits from the 15^th day of their incapacity to work. A self-employed person is ineligible for any financial compensation for the first 14 days.

Employees and self-employed persons can receive sickness benefits for a maximum of 380 calendar days.

Persons who fall sick during the protected period, i.e. within seven days following the end of employment, are also eligible for sickness benefits. Sickness benefits are calculated on the basis of prior income.

Calculation of sickness benefits

The sickness benefit (per calendar day) amounts to:

• 60% of the reduced daily assessment base for the first 30 days of temporary incapacity for work or ordered quarantine;
• 66% of the reduced daily assessment base from the 31st day to the 60th day of temporary incapacity for work or ordered quarantine; and
• 72% of the reduced daily assessment base from the 61st day of temporary incapacity for work or ordered quarantine.

The daily assessment base is calculated using the applicant's average daily earnings over the past 12 months. Amounts are reduced in the calculation of the daily assessment base if above certain thresholds:

Compensation paid by the employer in the period from the first to the 14^th day of incapacity for work is calculated in the same way as sickness benefits: 60% of reduced daily wages.

Online calculator for calculation of sickness benefits

 https://www.mpsv.cz/web/cz/kalkulacka-pro-vypocet-davek

Attendance allowance

The daily amount of this benefit is calculated in the same way as sickness benefits. It is 60% of the daily assessment base.

Employees are eligible for this benefit from the first day they are unable to come to work due to providing such care.

The maximum term of such payment is:

• 16 days  for single parent employees who are caring for a child up to the age of 16;
• 9 days in all other cases.

Long-term attendance allowance

The long-term attendance allowance amounts to 60% of the reduced daily assessment base, and is paid for up to 90 calendar days. Claims can be renewed after one year.

Where and how to apply

The treating physician finds the person incapable to work due to sickness and issues the Decision on temporary incapacity to work (Rozhodnutí o dočasné pracovní neschopnosti, RDPN) The Communication between the physician and CSSA/DSSA, and between the employer and CSSA/DSSA takes place electronically.

The attending physician provides the sick insured person with a printed certificate stating the temporary work incapacity.

Employees apply for the attendance allowance in the manner that they provide their employer with a form confirmed by a treating physician.

The exact procedure for claiming sickness benefits can be found on the following Czech Social Security Administration website: (in English): https://www.cssz.cz/web/en/e-sick-leave-eneschopenka-

Jargon busters

• Self-employed person (osoba samostatně výdělečně činná) is the term used for a person with income from business or other self-employment (private farmer, trade licence holder or artist).
• A contract for work (dohoda o provedení práce) is a special form of an employment relationship between an employer and an employee. The scope of work within such contract cannot exceed 300 hours per year.
• The daily assessment base (denní vyměřovací základ) is a decreased portion of a person's average daily wages for the purposes of defining sickness insurance benefits.

Forms you may need

• Decision on temporary incapacity for work (Rozhodnutí o dočasné pracovní neschopnosti), used to determine eligibility for sickness benefits and issued by the examining physician electronically (in Czech);
• Decision on the need for care (Rozhodnutí o potřebě ošetřování (péče)), issued by the examining physician (in Czech);
• Long-term attendance allowance (Žádost o dlouhodobé ošetřovné);
• Sickness insurance forms to be found here: https://eportal.cssz.cz/web/portal/tiskopisy-seznam-np.

Know your rights

These links do not lead to European Commission websites and do not represent the views of the European Commission:

• Labour Code (Zákoník práce) (in Czech);
• Sickness Insurance Act (Zákon o nemocenském pojištění) (in Czech).

Please make use of EU assistance services if you experience any problems in applying your rights:

• Social security: your rights in the EU

Useful contacts

Czech Social Security Administration (Česká správa sociálního zabezpečení)
Křížová 25
 225 08 Prague 5
CZECH REPUBLIC
Call centre: +420 257066077

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí ČR)
Na Poříčním právu 1/376
128 01 Prague 2
CZECH REPUBLIC
Tel. +420 221921111
Data box: sc9aavg