Sickness benefit Poland: zasiłek chorobowy, 80%, 182 days, e-ZLA

If you are ill and cannot work in Poland, two things matter: the doctor's sick note (zwolnienie lekarskie, issued electronically as e-ZLA) and the money that follows it, the sickness benefit (zasiłek chorobowy). This guide summarises the official gov.pl service page for employees and for self-employed people. The page shows a last update of 14 April 2022, so check the current figures and rules with ZUS or your payer before you rely on them.

What the sickness benefit is

According to the gov.pl page, the benefit is available to someone who meets all of these requirements: they have a sick note from a doctor, they have sickness insurance, and they are on sick leave for more than a set number of days in one calendar year. That threshold is more than 33 days in total for people aged up to 50 (until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 50), and more than 14 days for people over 50.

The page does not describe how the first days of sick leave are paid, so ask your employer or payer about that part.

How much it pays

The page gives two rates:

• 80% of the benefit base (podstawa wymiaru zasiłku) in the usual case.
• 100% of the base if you cannot work because of an accident on the way to or from work, an illness during pregnancy, or medical examinations needed by candidates for cell, tissue or organ donation, or the donation procedure itself.

The base is your average monthly pay over the 12 months before the month in which you could not work, minus the social insurance contributions that you pay yourself. If you were insured for less than 12 months, the whole insured period is used. The page says the exact amount is calculated by ZUS or by the payer, so any figure you work out yourself is only an estimate.

How long it lasts

Up to 182 days, or up to 270 days if you are pregnant or have tuberculosis. If you are still unable to work after that, there may be a separate rehabilitation benefit, which we cover in another guide.

What you need to do as an employee

If your payer (płatnik składek, usually your employer) pays the benefit, you often need to prepare nothing. The page explains two cases:

• If your employer has a profile on ZUS's PUE platform, it sees your e-ZLA there, and the note arrives electronically.
• If your employer has no PUE ZUS profile, it will not know about your e-ZLA. The page says the employer should tell you this in writing on your first day of work. In that case, give the employer a printout of the note from your doctor, or a medical certificate issued in the alternative way, for example when the doctor had no internet access.

If ZUS itself pays the benefit, a claim is needed. During insurance, your payer files it for you and sends ZUS a payer certificate: Z-3 for an employment contract, or Z-3a for a contract of mandate or similar.

Some situations need extra documents. The page lists a medical certificate confirming pregnancy if the doctor did not enter code B on the note, an accident card for an accident on the way to or from work, and a medical certificate for donor examinations or the donation procedure.

What self-employed people need to do

The page has a separate section for people running a business, people cooperating with them, and clergy who pay their own contributions. They receive the benefit only if ZUS finds no contribution arrears on the account, or if the debt does not exceed 1% of the minimum wage. If the debt is higher, the benefit is not paid until the whole debt is cleared. Paying it in full within 6 months of the accident or of the day the right to the benefit arose preserves the benefit for the whole period. Paying later means the benefit starts only from the payment date.

For the claim itself, the e-ZLA goes to ZUS electronically. The page says you can file form ZAS-53 or Z-3b, including through PUE ZUS, and that ZUS also treats a printout of the electronic note from your doctor as your claim.

Deadlines and waiting time

File documents right away if you have everything. For a sick note that has already ended, the page gives 6 months from the last day of the sick leave. If something stopped you from filing in that time, such as being in hospital, you have 6 months from the day the reason ended.

Payment is due within 30 calendar days of filing the documents, or of clearing the last circumstance needed to establish the right. The money goes to the bank account you give in the claim.

If ZUS refuses or you disagree

ZUS can refuse the benefit and will then issue a decision. If the payer refuses or pays the wrong amount, you can ask ZUS for a decision. To challenge a ZUS decision, write an appeal to the regional labour and social insurance court, but deliver or send it to the ZUS branch that issued the decision. You have one month from receiving the decision. The page says filing the appeal costs nothing, and you can use form POG through PUE ZUS to send it electronically.

What the page does not say

The page does not address foreigners separately, does not give any zloty amounts, and its last update is from April 2022. Rules on contributions and benefit bases can change, so confirm with ZUS or your payer.

* Photos: Infrared forehead thermometer, made in China (CC0) and Anna Syberg, From Sick Bed, 1908 (public domain), both from Wikimedia Commons, used as illustrative images only.

Frequently asked questions

How long can I receive the sickness benefit?

According to the gov.pl page, up to 182 days, or up to 270 days for pregnancy or tuberculosis.

How much does it pay?

80% of the benefit base in the usual case, and 100% for an accident on the way to or from work, illness during pregnancy, or donor examinations. ZUS or your payer calculates the exact amount.

What is the deadline to claim?

For a sick note that has already ended, 6 months from its last day, or 6 months after a reason that stopped you from filing.

Can I appeal?

Yes. File the appeal within one month of the decision, addressed to the labour court but delivered to the ZUS branch. It is free.

Sources

• gov.pl - Sickness benefit (updated 14.04.2022)