There is no procedure concerning sick leave in Turkey. Employers are unsure about what to do when an employee says he is sick. However, in Europe, although there are differences between countries, there are certain procedures. The sick leave situation in different countries is presented below, 

"One of the things that increases the blood pressure levels of managers is the phone call of an employee on a Monday morning with a touching and weak voice saying, "I am ill, I can't come". The manager is stuck between the feeling of sadness for the illness of a colleague and the worry of work being hindered and disrupted" says Datassist Human Resources Manager Ayşe N. Uça. This contradiction is caused by the cost created because of the absent employee. On one hand the payment of overtime for the person who will do the work for the absent employee, on the other hand, the de-motivation of having to do someone else's work... If the absent employee has a character suitable for abusing such situations, this causes decrease of motivation among other employees. Uça explained the sick leave procedures in Turkey and other countries.

When an employee in Turkey takes an unnecessary sick leave, he tries to get better in two days because he thinks it will not be received well by his employer and acquaintances.

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To the disadvantage of blue collar workers

How does the sick leave procedure work in Turkey?

Sick leave procedures are generally not implemented in Turkey. In fact, if a company has a sick leave policy, in the case of an actual sick leave, both the employee and employer would know what to do in advance; this would prevent injustices and stop people from being offended. Even within the same company there may be different applications of procedures from one person to another, and always to the disadvantage of the blue collared worker. Especially, the white-collar employees closer to management get closer attention and assistance from management on the issue of sick leave. No deduction of pay is implemented to these persons. These persons are usually under the coverage of health insurance or the employer pays their medical treatment costs. Whereas blue-collar employees get a visitation document and get on their way to an approved [state] health facility. In Turkey, in the case of an illness, employers are obliged to pay the first two days of the employee's wage. After the first two days the SSK (Social Insurance Institution) continues to pay temporary inability compensation.

SSK (Social Insurance Institution) requires documents

Meanwhile, SSK has implemented a new procedure. From now on, a document is required, stating that the SSK covered employee's medical treatment is complete, and that he is in condition to work. Without this document a payment for this period of time will not be made, if a payment has been made it will be reimbursed to the SSK.

Obligation of proof for the Employer

The employer will notice frequent sick leaves after a while. Are those making this a habit being added to the black list of the employer? In Turkey, according to the new labor law, terminating the work contract of an employee because too much sick leave is taken, is only possible if the employer can prove that the employee has abused this right. Besides these abuses, in the work culture of Turkey, as Turkish persons, we are all used to taking care of our own affairs and because when we are ill, we are used to getting a lot of help from our relatives, contrary to a worker in Europe, we try to resolve this issue on our own.

We get better in two days

The institutional work culture formed in our country does not accept too much sick leave. Employees taking unnecessary sick leaves assume that both acquaintances and employers will not react pleasantly, therefore try to get better in two days, for example in the cases of influenza. If we consider this matter from the productivity angle, these circumstances, because they create a self-control mechanism, in the new economic order where international competition is at its highest level, is a culture that must not be lost.

What is the situation in the west?

In Europe, a large number of persons call their employers on Monday and say they are sick. Europe, in this respect, is a heaven for employees. In a study carried out in Switzerland in 1950, it was revealed that, within a period of time, the more the sick leave rights were increased, the more actual sick leaves increased with the same ratio. For example, in 1998, the year when the minimum payment for sick leave was increased this number reached it's highest. In Norway, a person who is sick during a year gets paid his annual wage in full. The portion of 16 days of the sick leave is paid by the employer and the rest of the payment by the state.

Employers who hire a detective

In Germany, the employer makes payments up to 8 weeks for a sick leave; the payment for the remaining 78 weeks is paid up by the state. In Germany, because the portion for the employer of the sick leave pay is 8 weeks, the employers have detectives follow their employees, in order to catch and justifiably dismiss employees who are on sick leave and are working at other workplaces to earn extra income.

In France.. State pays between 50 % and 69 % of the salary for a year.

In the U.K. 10 days is the most

In the U.K., an employee has a right for sick leave pay after the fourth day and until the end of the year, the employer pays the first 28 weeks of the sick leave pay. But the payment is made weekly and cannot exceed a certain limit. Therefore these persons prefer to get their salary in full and try not to apply for sick leave. By the way, in the U.K. an employee is entitled only 10 days of sick leave during a year.

The country where sick leave is most used is Sweden. Followed by, Norway and Holland.

In the USA it is viewed as a right

The situation is different in the USA. Employees are only entitled to 6 days of sick leave. But in the USA this is viewed as an earned entitlement and used like annual paid leave. You cannot find someone in the USA who does not use sick leave.

Hürriyet Daily Newspaper, Human Resources, 02.10.2005