Sick pay for public servants to be halved

Up to 300,000 public servants are to see both their certified and uncertified sick leave entitlement halved thanks to a binding recommendation from the Labour Court.

Currently, state employees on normal certified sick leave for non-critical illnesses are entitled to six months’ full-pay followed by a further six months’ half-pay in a rolling four-year period. Those who do not return then receive a pension or rehabilitation rate — an income based on their accrued pension benefits without added years.

However, from Jan 1, 2014, the entitlement is to be cut to three months’ full-pay followed by three months’ half-pay and the rehabilitation rate is to be limited to 18 months. Furthermore, at present, staff can take seven paid, certified sick days over a 12-month rolling period. In a change that will kick in almost immediately, they will only have seven days over a 24-month period.