Cabinet reduces civil servants' sick leave days

The Cabinet of Ministers, led by Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, has greenlit a significant amendment to regulations governing sick leave for civil servants. The decision lowers the maximum sick leave days from 42 to 28 and reduces sick leave without a medical certificate from eight to six days within the annual sick leave quota.

Keravnos emphasized the government's commitment to modernizing the civil service, describing it as an ongoing process with various stages. The approved changes also include three six-month extensions for chronically ill employees, with varying levels of pay: full pay for the first period, 60% for the second, and a reduction to 50% for the third.

Notably, the requirement for medical board approval for chronically ill patients' sick leave extensions is eliminated. Instead, approval will be granted upon presentation of a medical certificate, with supervisor endorsement.

The Finance Minister highlighted previous Cabinet decisions on flexible working hours and telecommuting and mentioned the government's engagement with the International Monetary Fund for technical assistance in rationalizing the state payroll. Responding to queries about potential abuse leading to these changes, Keravnos confirmed the identification of abuses and emphasized the need for differentiation and modernization in the relevant legislation.

[Information sourced from CNA]