The government established by decree a new sick leave and benefits scheme for civil servants in Uruguay, with the aim of reducing the important expenses that the State has in this regard.
With the President’s signature Luis Lacalle Pou and the 14 ministers, the Executive Power published yesterday a decree that imposes a new regulation on medical licenses for public employees. In this way, these workers will have the right to have up to nine working days of paid leave per yearintended to cover intermittent or consecutive absences due to illness or accident.
With the new regulations, the scheme becomes sick pay from the tenth day. Then, the payment will be 75% or 100% of the salary, depending on the particular circumstances; although some benefits such as social benefits, seniority, travel expenses, travel expenses and overtime will not be included in this payment.
“The days of paid sick leave will be generated on January 1 of each year and may be used until December 31 of the same year, not being cumulative for the following year,” the decree indicates, adding that officials appointed during the calendar year will be entitled to paid sick leave days from their entry until December 31.
The regulations apply to officials, budgeted or contracted, who work in the Executive power, Power of attorney, Court of Accounts, Electoral Court, Court of Administrative Litigation, Decentralized Services and prosecution General of the Nation. On the other hand, and although they are not covered by the decree, departmental governments and autonomous entities may adopt the new regime if they wish.
For their part, public defenders, officials of the N rank of the Prosecutor’s Office, magistrates of the Judiciary, diplomatic officials of the foreign service who are on mission abroad and departmental government officials may be exempted.
ANEP medical certifications, another problem for the government
The Minister of Economy and Finance, Azucena Arbeleche, anticipated that it seeks to advance in the regulation of medical certifications in ANEP, noting that its cost is “much higher” than the 100 million dollars annually.
Referring to this situation and the tax savings that it could imply, Arbeleche expressed in dialogue with Radio Carve that this benefit “it corresponds to who is sick”, but he questioned a problem that is repeated in schools. “It does not correspond to those who for different reasons do not go to work and suddenly do not do it in public education and do it in private education,” she compared.
On the other hand, he identified the expense of medical certifications in ANEP as “much” greater than 100 million dollars per year. Therefore, he insisted on “double-clicking to ask the public official the same thing that we ask the private one”.
Source: Ambito
