Communication and advice, daily allowance applications, paid benefits and daily allowance decisions, membership fee information, personal contact details
Based on the Employment Contracts Act, the employer pays wages for the waiting period for sickness allowance. The employer may pay wages for sick leave for a longer period, for example. on the basis of a collective agreement or employment contract. If the sick pay per day paid by the employer is less than the daily allowance, the difference is paid to the employee.
When the employer is no longer obliged to pay sick pay, the employee must apply for sickness allowance from Kela. Sickness benefit is paid to employees for incapacity for work lasting less than one year. If the disability continues for more than a year, the person may receive a rehabilitation allowance or retire on a disability pension.
If the employee’s illness is caused by an accident, such as an accident at work or a traffic accident, he or she can receive compensation from an insurance company. If the processing of the insurance application is prolonged for reasons beyond the customer’s control, the employee can apply for sickness allowance from Kela. In this case, sickness benefit is paid to the employee, not to the employer.
