Partial sickness absence

Part-time sickness allowance

You have the opportunity to return to your previous work on a part-time basis when the waiting period of 1+9 days for national sickness allowance has run out. Your working hours should be reduced to 40–60% of your regular hours. For the period of part-time sickness allowance, you receive full pay and Kela pays part-time sickness allowance to your employer.

Part-time sickness allowance is payable for a period of 12–150 weekdays. You can apply for part-time sickness allowance from Kela and the amount is always 50% of your full-time sickness allowance.

In order to receive part-time sickness allowance, you must be in full-time employment. Full-time employment means paid employment where an employee’s working hours are 30 hours/week or equivalent to the regular full-time working hours normally applied within the sector in question. 

If you work regularly and simultaneously in two or more part-time jobs, you may receive part-time sickness allowance. Employment is considered to be full-time if the combined working hours amount to at least 35 hours per week. In such cases, part-time sickness allowance is paid directly to you.

If you are taking a period of part-time sickness allowance, you must present Kela with medical certificate B, which includes a statement of your working capacity and details of the fact that part-time work will not endanger your health and recovery.

You and your employer should sign a written fixed-term contract for the period of part-time sick leave. The contract must indicate the duration of the contract, the working time arrangement agreed (current working hours, part-time working hours), the pay for the period of part-time work and the effects of part-time sick leave on the accrual of annual holiday entitlement and holiday pay.

If you are no longer able to perform part-time work due to illness, however, the contract will expire and you will return or transfer to full-time sick leave with full-time sickness allowance.