SMEs not in favour of abolishing sick note
August 2023 - Seven out of ten SMEs are against further abolition of the sick note. This is the conclusion of a survey by SD Worx of 481 SME company managers. Staff planning becomes much more complex without the sick note, the criticism goes.
Today, employees are allowed to be sick for one day three times a year without having to submit a medical certificate. Employers with fewer than 50 employees can deviate from this rule. But there is already a new bill on the table that extends the abolition of the sick note to three times three days per employee, per calendar year and that for all companies, regardless of size.
Most companies always request attestation
A survey by HR company SD Worx of 481 SME company managers shows that 53% always ask for a medical attestation, even in the event of a one-day absence (47% in Flanders, 66% in Wallonia). About four in 10 SMEs (36%) only ask for a medical attestation from several days' absence.
Small vs large SMEs
Striking: SMEs with fewer than five employees ask for sick notes significantly less often than SMEs with more than five employees: 45% compared to 70%. On average, only 11% of all SMEs no longer ask for sick notes except in exceptional cases.
Fear of continuity in production
The new bill faces opposition from SMEs. Almost 70% oppose further expansion of the omission of the sick note. Only 16% are in favour. Thus, for most business leaders, the administrative simplification promised by the extension of the sick note does not outweigh possible other challenges. In manufacturing environments with workers, for example, they fear for the continuity of production or service when workers drop out last-minute. It is therefore important for them to inform their boss of their illness in time.
