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Sick Leaves in the Philippines: What You Need to Know

Sick leaves are a much-needed break for Filipino employees who feel under the weather. Since
workers need to rest to recuperate, knowing what is required and how to do it will ensure they can
get the most out of their sick leave. In the Philippines, the Labor Code provides specific provisions on
when an employee can avail of sick leave and the corresponding entitlements. This article will guide
you through the basics of sick leave in the Philippines and the necessary documents, such as a
medical certificate fit to work.

How Many Sick Leaves are There for Filipino Employees?

The Labor Code of the Philippines requires that all employers must provide their employees with five
(5) days of paid sick leave every year. This benefit can be used for any illness or injury, including
those caused by accidents, or for medical or dental consultations.

On the other hand, employees are entitled to sick leave if they cannot perform their duties due to
illness or injury. A medical certificate fit to work must be presented to the employer before or after
the employee can avail of the sick leave.
Sick Leave Entitlements

Employees who are granted sick leave are entitled to full wages for their leave. It is the employer’s
responsibility to pay the employee’s wages during the leave period. In addition, employers are also
required to provide their employees with medical treatment, medicines, and other necessary medical
supplies while on leave. Employers must also reimburse employees for any expenses they incur while
on leave.

Restrictions on Sick Leaves

As previously mentioned, employees are entitled to a maximum of five (5) days of sick leave with pay
each year. However, employers may restrict the number of sick leaves an employee can avail of in a
given year to three (3) days, provided that the restriction is to prevent abuse of the leave.
Employers may also require employees to present a medical certificate fit to work to prove that they
are indeed ill or injured and unable to perform their duties.
Employers are also allowed to require employees to submit a report detailing the illness or injury that
caused them to avail of sick leave. This report must be submitted by the employee within two (2)
days of the start of the leave.
What Things to Gather for Your Sick Leave?
When filing for sick leave, it is essential to have the necessary documents. These include:
 doctor's note indicating the employee's diagnosis
 the duration of the leave
 any recommended medication
Additionally, the employee should also have an official medical certificate fit to work that states that
the employee cannot work due to illness.
Places to Get Medical Certificate in the Philippines

Knowing the basics of sick leave in the Philippines and having the necessary documents on hand will
help ensure that employees can make sure their sick leave is counted and recorded accordingly.

When it comes to obtaining a medical certificate fit to work, various medical establishments in the
Philippines offer such services. One of the most reliable healthcare provider to get a medical
certificate is E-Konsulta Medical Clinic. We are an online clinic that provides medical certificates for
sick leave. Our clinic allows patients to book an appointment online and have their medical certificate
ready in no time.

https://www.insperity.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-when-an-employee-takes-a-
leave-of-absence/
EMPLOYEES WHO USED TO MUCH OFF/LEAVE

There are a number of reasons that might motivate employees to take advantage of your leave
policy. Watch out for employees who are disengaged from their work and those who frequently take
Mondays and Fridays off. Make it clear to your employee that you can’t operate a steady business
without their presence.

Let your employees know that you care about their well-being and want to provide support, if doing
so will be helpful. It is important that employees know what can and cannot be modified in their jobs.
This means your job descriptions need to have essential duties (those functions that cannot be
removed or changed without materially changing the job) identified. If an employee is
experiencing excessive absenteeism, ask if there is something that they need to tend to, and if there
is any way you, as an organization, can assist.

https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/pros-and-cons-sick-pay-schemes-contagious-
presenteeism-and-noncontagious-absenteeism

Effects of mandated sick pay on employment and wages

We can also ask whether these mandates are necessary, or whether firms would find optimal free-

market solutions without being compelled to do it by a government. If a mandate lowers infection

rates at the workplace it would certainly reduce costs and, as diseases also spread to third parties,

one could argue that mandates protect people outside the workplace as well. 

On the other hand, mandating sick pay may increase labour costs and reduce employment. The main

objections voiced by opponents are negative employment and wage effects. In a related paper, we

also use BLS data to evaluate the potential wage and employment effects of US sick pay mandates

(Pichler and Ziebarth 2018). Our findings show that the sick pay mandates in the US have note

reduced employment or wages significantly.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/45149985

Aims: To describe the consequences of long-term sick leave (>28 days) on working situation, health and
lifestyle among employees from the public sector in Sweden. Methods: Employees in four county councils
and two municipalities on long term sick leave on 1 November 2005 (n= 1,128) answered a questionnaire
in February 2006. The response rate was 71.7%. Eighty-seven per cent were still on sick leave when the
questionnaire was answered: 54% part time and 33% full time. Results: Reporting positive consequences
was rare but reporting negative consequences, such as effects on the development of salary,
the possibilities of pursuing a career or to change to another job were common. Sick leave
seemed to lead to a considerable loss of zest for work, even if the respondents were back in
work full time. Regardless of the negative consequences at work, 92% of those on part-time sick leave
believed that the part-time sick leave was good for them even if many thought it had negative
consequences for employer and colleagues. Conclusions: Long-term sick leave has negative
consequences for the individual in work situations, even for those back at work full time. The
development of salary and career seem to be most affected. The attitude towards part-time
sick leave was positive and this result indicates that there is a potential for an increased
degree of partial return to work in the group of people on long-term sick leave.

UNNECCISITY OF SICK LEAVE

 SICK LEAVE ABUSE
It's an unfortunate fact that everybody gets ill sometimes; in the workplace, this translates
into sick days – unplanned absences that can be tricky to manage. However, if you are
beginning to suspect that an employee is abusing sick leave when they're not actually ill.
 Sick days leave delay work, causing projects to fall behind schedule.
They create stress for other workers, who must make up for lost productivity. And,
because other people may need to work overtime to make up for the time lost, they add
to overtime bills .
 Some workers don't receive sick pay
If they're paid only for the actual hours they work, they may feel they can't afford to
stay home when they're sick. If they come to work, they may pass their illness to co-
workers. This, in turn, makes the situation much worse, because even more workers
then become sick – which can cause more "downtime" and increased costs in medical
care.
 ABSENTEEISM
There are two main reasons for high rates of absenteeism: (1) an abnormal
amount of illness, and (2) abuse of the system by workers who call in sick
when they're actually perfectly healthy. Causes for one or both of these may
be as follows:
1. Actual physical or mental illness.
2. An unhealthy lifestyle.
3. The need to care for family members.
4. Personal emotional issues.
5. Problems in the workplace, causing avoidance or stress-related illness.
6. Lack of understanding of sick leave policies.
7. Low job satisfaction and disengagement, often resulting from a low level of
control over work or decision-making.
8. Low quality of life in economic, social, and physical terms.
9. A lack of appreciation that work brings obligations as well as rewards.
 COST TO BUSINESS
This is a crucial aspect to consider and it’s worth talking through with your accountant and your
HR advisor. Inevitably, people will become unwell. When this happens, you need to have a clear
understanding of the full financial impact. For example, some businesses (i.e. shops and
restaurants) may be able to manage with reduced staffing for a finite period of time. Others,
however, are subject to statutory requirements which may result in the need to employ temporary
staff (i.e. childcare providers) in order to remain open.