The Government’s decision that the first day of sick leave should no longer be paid has sparked discontent and apparently also generated creative reactions. In several counties, the number of medical leaves issued on Saturdays – a non-working day that is not paid anyway – has increased, raising suspicions among authorities, according to Antena3.
Practically, some employees have requested that the leave period start on the weekend, so that the first „unpaid” day coincides with a day they would not have worked. The solution is not inherently illegal, but health system officials want to verify if these cases correspond to real medical situations.
CJAS: We remain vigilant
The Director of CJAS Hunedoara, Adrian David, says that the phenomenon has been observed and that verifications will follow.
"Quite a few medical leaves are granted on Saturdays, as Saturday is a non-working day not penalized by legislation, and I believe it's a countermeasure or a reaction to the Ordinance, but we remain vigilant and I promise that we will verify and provide you with the results of future checks," he stated.
Authorities want to establish whether it is a coincidence or a practice intended to avoid the effects of the new regulation.
Discontent and accusations
In the public space, reactions are divided. Some believe that the measure eliminating payment for the first day of sick leave affects even those who are honest.
"Those who have done this before will surely find solutions. But it's bad for the others," says one person, according to the source cited.
Others believe that responsibility should lie with the doctors. "Doctors should be sanctioned if they accept these situations, if they are, let's say, beyond the limits of the law," states another citizen.
"Family doctors should also be a bit more attentive and responsible because people always try. The inventive Romanian tries because he says it works, and that's our Romanian tradition," adds another person interviewed.
For now, issuing a sick leave on the weekend does not violate the law. However, competent institutions will analyze whether there is a pattern indicating the use of this "loophole" to avoid losing money from the first day of sick leave.