Russians who frequently take sick leave to be monitored
Russians who frequently take sick leave to be placed under special monitoring
24.07.2025
Article published on the moscowtimes.ru website
The Ministry of Health is focusing its attention on Russians who frequently take sick leave.
According to a draft Ministerial directive, a person who takes sick leave four times or more over a six-month period will have their medical records handed over to a professional assessment commission for expert examination. Its aim is to “identify the factors contributing to the frequency of illnesses and to develop a comprehensive treatment and prevention plan”.
The Ministry states that long periods of work incapacity indicates the need for a more thorough evaluation. They believe the new system will make it possible to detect serious illnesses at an early stage, return “professional activity” to people from this so-called risk group, and improve the quality of medical care in general.
The changes will affect all able-bodied Russians. Exceptions will only be made for those who take sick leave to look after family members, or for medical rehab, and for those suffering from cancer, hepatitis B and C, diabetes, HIV and illnesses requiring renal replacement treatment.
A sick leave application can be made by calling a doctor from home, or contacting a medical organisation. A certificate will be issued electronically and will require a passport and the employee’s social security number. There will be a period of up to 15 days before the physician is required to contact the commission.
A sick leave certificate allows an employee to receive compensation from the Pension and Social Insurance Fund for days when absent from work. The amount will depend on their length of service and average earnings. This year, a payment of up to 5,673 roubles is provided for a day’s sick leave.
