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Legislation impact on sick leave in Slovakia

Lucia Blazinska (Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Care and Social Work, Trnava University in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia)
Martin Rusnak (Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Care and Social Work, Trnava University in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia)
Margareta Kacmarikova (Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Care and Social Work, Trnava University in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia)

International Journal of Workplace Health Management

ISSN: 1753-8351

Article publication date: 5 June 2017

119

Abstract

Purpose

Sickness absence is a major public health and economic problem. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of a legislative intervention that concerns reduction of compensation levels in sickness absence in the Slovak Republic. In addition, the study encompasses appraisal of effects reflected by related indicators.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes an evaluation study, based on national statistics from relevant sources. Numeric data were used for characterizing the dynamics of sickness absence in Slovakia in the years 1997-2013. Statistical programmes join-point and R-environment were used for analytical purposes in terms of Wilcoxon test and linear regression.

Findings

The results suggest that following the implementation of the Act No. 462/2003 Coll. the number of new cases as well as the proportion of sickness absence among insured persons decreased by 50 per cent (from 2003 – 60/100 to 2004 – 30,8/100). Average duration of inability to work increased to 6.5 days and there were more women compared to men on sick leave. The most frequent causes of sickness absence were respiratory diseases, muscular-skeletal diseases and injuries outside the workplace.

Research limitations/implications

The trend of sickness absence can be influenced by many others factors, but the research is mainly focussed on legislative impact.

Originality/value

The research indicates an effect of legislative intervention at national level.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Conflict of interests: the authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding: this research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Citation

Blazinska, L., Rusnak, M. and Kacmarikova, M. (2017), "Legislation impact on sick leave in Slovakia", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 182-191. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-11-2016-0085

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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