By the end of 2024 in Serbia, the activation of the e-Sick Leave service is expected. This service will allow employees to electronically submit reports on temporary inability to work (“Medical Certificate”), instead of delivering them in person to employers.

In addition to existing applications such as e-Health for scheduling appointments with chosen doctors and e-Prescription, which has eliminated the need for paper prescriptions, this marks a continued effort towards digitalizing the healthcare system. 

Why is e-Sick Leave being introduced?

In practice, employees traditionally delivered Medical Certificates in person to their employers after their sick leave ended, i.e., at the end of the calendar month following the month in which the sick leave was taken. This approach placed an additional burden on employees who were absent from work due to illness.

Additionally, there has been no clear legal obligation for employees to submit the Medical Certificate to their employer. This situation posed a problem for employers in maintaining accurate records, unless the employer prescribed such an obligation through internal regulations and stipulated appropriate sanctions for failing to submit the Medical Certificate.

On the other hand, the right to salary compensation during temporary inability to work is established based on the Medical Certificate form (Article 119 of the Regulation on the manner and procedure of exercising rights from compulsory health insurance). So, it has always been necessary for the employer to possess this form in order to accurately calculate salary, enable the employee to exercise rights guaranteed by the Labor Law and the Health Insurance Law, and ensure reimbursement of funds when the cost of salary compensation falls on the Republic Fund of Health Insurance (“RFHI“).

In the light of digital changes, e-Sick Leave is also expected to significantly contribute to a simplified and faster procedure for initiating and extending sick leave, benefiting employees, employers, doctors, and the RFHI. Through the application, they will be able to submit necessary documents related to sick leave when needed.

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED), plans to start implementing e-Health Records from 2026 onwards. This initiative will enable doctors to have complete access to patients’ medical histories.

The introduction of innovative solutions, combined with existing digital applications like e-Health and e-Prescriptions, represents a step towards improving the functionality of the national healthcare system. This advancement aims to provide better service to both employees and healthcare professionals, leading to reduced administrative burdens and preventing potential abuses of sick leave rights.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you need further information, please feel free to contact us.