As of: June 21, 2026.Getting sick is not a career failure. Nevertheless, uncertainty often arises on the job: When do I have to report it? Is a message enough? Does the employer need to know the diagnosis? What happens to salary, sick pay, overtime, or termination during sick leave? Anyone who only clarifies these points when fever, an accident, or mental stress has already set in is under unnecessary pressure.
In Austria, sick leave is clearly regulated under labor and social security law, but many details are misunderstood in everyday life. The decisive factor is not whether someone "looks sick," but whether a doctor determines the incapacity for work. At the same time, employees have obligations: They must inform the employer immediately, provide a requested sick note, and behave in a way that does not delay recovery.
For jobspot.at, this topic is particularly relevant because sick leave can occur in almost any employment relationship: in a new job, during the probationary period, in part-time work, in the home office, after a workplace accident, during a notice period, or after long-term stress. Good working conditions can also be recognized by whether illness is treated objectively, respectfully, and in compliance with the law.
Sick leave begins with incapacity for work
Sick leave is officially called incapacity for work due to illness. The Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) describes that this incapacity for work is determined by the attending physician. This concerns the specific activity: An illness may be assessed differently for a physically demanding job than for a sedentary activity, and an accident can have different consequences depending on the task.
Therefore, contact with a doctor is important. Anyone who realizes they cannot work should not only inform the company but also get a medical check-up and a sick note. The Chamber of Labor (Arbeiterkammer) points out that employers may request a sick note, even for a one-day sick leave. Anyone who does not have a confirmation, even though it was legitimately requested, risks unnecessary problems.
The start of incapacity for work is usually the day determined by the doctor. Retroactive confirmations are not automatic. Someone who becomes ill over the weekend but would have to work on Monday should therefore quickly clarify when and how the sick notification will be made. Early notification is particularly important for shift work, on-call duties, customer appointments or ongoing projects.
Sick notification: quick, clear and verifiable
Employees must inform their employer without delay if they are sick and unable to work. The Business Service Portal explains this principle, as does the Chamber of Labour. In practice this means: do not wait until after the start of work, but report as early as possible, ideally before work begins or at the time specified by the company rules.
Which form is appropriate depends on the company. A phone call is often sensible because it is quick and allows follow-up questions. An email or message can be additionally helpful because it is traceable later. However, employees should not rely on informal chat channels if it is clearly regulated in the company that sickness absences must be reported to a specific person, manager or HR department.
The notification does not need to be long. Relevant are the incapacity for work, the expected duration, availability for organizational follow-up questions and the note that the medical certificate will be provided later if it is required. The exact diagnosis does not belong in the sick notification. Someone who is ill does not have to explain in detail which condition they have.
What may be stated in the certificate
The sick leave certificate is a common point of dispute. According to the Chamber of Labour, it must include the start, the expected duration and the cause of the inability to work. Cause does not mean the medical diagnosis, however. Employees do not have to disclose to the employer what they are suffering from. It is sufficient to indicate whether the inability to work was caused by illness or by an accident.
Employers can require a medical certificate. According to information from the Business Service Portal, it can be required from the first day, while collective agreements in practice often provide such provisions only from the fourth day. Therefore, what matters is not only the law but also the company’s internal rules and the situation under collective agreements.
Anyone who requests a confirmation should provide it promptly. If employees fail to meet their reporting or documentation obligations, their entitlement to pay can be lost for the period of the delay. This is not a theoretical point: especially in short periods of sick leave a late confirmation may seem harmless, but it can cause unnecessary disruption in payroll runs and in later inquiries.
Continued pay: what is paid during illness
Anyone who is unfit for work due to illness and did not cause this intentionally or by gross negligence is generally entitled to continued pay. The Unternehmensserviceportal names six weeks of full pay as the basic scheme; depending on the length of the employment relationship the entitlement can increase to up to twelve weeks. For a further four weeks there is an entitlement to half pay.
For employees it is important that "Entgelt" can mean more than the fixed monthly salary. If income fluctuates, for example because of commissions, bonuses, piecework pay or regularly performed overtime, average calculations may become relevant. The USP points out in its information for employers that when pay varies the average earnings of the last fully worked weeks can play a role.
Practically, employees on sick leave should therefore check their next payslip not only for the net amount. Do sick leave days, continued pay, variable components and any corrections add up? The jobspot.at article Check payslip hilft dabei, Lohn- und Gehaltsabrechnungen systematisch zu lesen.
When sickness benefit comes into play
If the employer's continued pay has been exhausted or reduced, sickness benefit from social insurance can become relevant. The ÖGK explains that sickness benefit is intended to partially compensate for the loss of income and requires a medically certified sick leave. According to the USP the entitlement is suspended in whole or in part as long as a corresponding entitlement to continued pay against the employer still exists.
The transition is important for employees. Sickness benefit does not automatically reach the account just because someone is sick for a longer period. Depending on the situation, documents may be required, such as a certificate of employment and earnings. The USP points out that employers must transmit this certificate to the competent health insurance carrier so that sickness benefit can be paid.
Anyone who is sick for an extended period should therefore check early: Is the sick leave correctly registered with the ÖGK? Is the certificate of employment and earnings completed? Are there any questions about the entitlement? In case of financial uncertainty, it makes sense not to wait for the next payment date but to actively inquire with the ÖGK, the employer, or an advisory service.
What is allowed during sick leave
Another myth is: you are not allowed to do anything while on sick leave. It’s not that simple. The decisive factor is that employees must not do anything that could delay recovery. The Chamber of Labour gives as an example that different rules may apply to the flu than to a mental illness, where physical activity can be part of the treatment. What matters is what is medically appropriate for recovery.
For that reason, employees should not carry out their own experiments. If unsure whether walks, short errands, sports, travel, or private appointments are compatible with sick leave, they should consult a doctor and take the recommendation seriously. Particularly sensitive are activities that could give the employer the impression that the incapacity to work is not plausible: heavy physical labor, secondary jobs, long trips without consent, or publicly visible activities that do not fit the diagnosis.
The place of residence can also be relevant. The Chamber of Labour points out that a changed place of residence must be reported to the ÖGK; prior approval from the ÖGK is required for a stay abroad. For example, anyone who travels to family in another federal state or wants to recuperate abroad should not settle such questions afterwards.
Dismissal during sick leave: what is realistic
Many employees believe that they cannot be dismissed while on sick leave. That is not correct. The Chamber of Labour explains that employees can be dismissed during sick leave; however, the usual notice periods and notice dates apply. The Unternehmensserviceportal lists, in the case of an employer’s dismissal, among other things: pay up to the expiry of the notice period, pro rata special payments, payment in lieu of unused vacation, employment documents, and the right to continued payment of wages in the event of dismissal during an illness.
This means: Sick leave does not automatically protect against the termination of an employment relationship, but it does not simply extinguish claims. Anyone who receives a notice of termination while on sick leave should not sign anything hastily and should check the deadlines, outstanding claims, and the further course of the sick leave. It is particularly important to distinguish between termination, dismissal, and mutual agreement.
Anyone who is currently in a new job should also consider sick leave and the probationary period separately. During onboarding, it is worth knowing the company's reporting channels early on. The jobspot.at article First day at work shows which organizational points should be clarified at the start of the job.
Home office, part-time, and flexible jobs
Flexible work does not change the reporting obligation. Anyone who is ill while working from home and is unable to work is not just "less reachable," but must report sick leave. Conversely, not every minor illness automatically means incapacity for work. The decisive factor remains whether the specific work is possible and reasonable in terms of health. In case of doubt, this should be clarified by a doctor.
With part-time work, flexitime, and changing shifts, sick leave days are often more difficult to classify. Therefore, the duty roster, time recording, and sick leave should match. If sick leave falls on a scheduled working day, it must be recorded correctly; if duty rosters are changed at short notice, employees should document the process. The jobspot.at article Record working time helps to keep such records properly.
Clear communication is just as important for employers. Good companies explain who to inform in the event of illness, how confirmations are to be submitted, how data protection is maintained, and when return-to-work interviews make sense. This reduces conflicts and shows employees that illness is not treated as personal misconduct.
Conclusion: Report sick leave properly, secure entitlements
Sick leave in Austria is not a marginal issue but part of professional work organization. Employees should report promptly, have it medically assessed, provide requested certificates in good time and not disclose a diagnosis. Employers must handle continued payment of wages, data protection and documentation correctly.
The best next step is a bit of preparation: note the reporting procedure at your workplace, know the responsible contact person, arrange a medical certificate promptly and check payslips after sick leave. If something is unclear, ask in writing and factually. That way illness won't become an additional employment-law risk.
Sources
- Arbeiterkammer: Sick leave, reporting obligations and rights
- ÖGK: Sick leave and incapacity for work due to illness
- oesterreich.gv.at: Sick leave
- Unternehmensserviceportal: Sick leave
- Unternehmensserviceportal: Continued payment of wages in case of illness
- ÖGK: Sickness benefit
- ÖGK: Continued wage payment during illness
- Unternehmensserviceportal: Termination and claims
