As of: 21 June 2026.Getting sick is not a career mishap. Nevertheless, uncertainty often arises at work: When do I have to report it? Is a message sufficient? Does the employer have to know the diagnosis? What happens to salary, sick pay, overtime or a termination while on sick leave? Anyone who only clarifies these points once fever, an accident or psychological strain are already present puts themselves under unnecessary pressure.
In Austria, sick leave is clearly regulated under labour and social insurance law, but many details are misunderstood in everyday life. The decisive factor is not whether someone "looks sick", but whether a doctor certifies the incapacity for work. At the same time, employees have obligations: they must inform the employer without delay, provide a requested sick leave certificate, and behave in a way that does not delay recovery.
For jobspot.at the 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, when working from home, after a workplace accident, during a notice period, or after prolonged strain. You can also judge good working conditions by whether illness is handled factually, respectfully and in accordance with the law.
Sick leave begins with incapacity for work.
Sick leave officially means incapacity for work due to illness. The Austrian Health Insurance Fund states that this incapacity for work is determined by the treating doctor. It concerns the specific job: an illness may be assessed differently for a physically demanding role than for a sedentary position, and an accident can have different consequences depending on the task.
Contact with a doctor is therefore important. Anyone who realises they cannot work should not only notify their employer, but also seek medical assessment and obtain a sick note. The Chamber of Labour points out that employers are allowed to request a sick leave certificate, even for a one-day absence. Those who do not have a certificate, although it was legitimately requested, risk unnecessary problems.
The start of the 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 promptly clarify when and how to report the illness. Early notification is especially important for shift work, on-call duty, customer appointments or ongoing projects.
Sick leave notification: quick, clear and verifiable
Employees must inform their employer immediately if they are ill and unable to work. The Unternehmensserviceportal explains this principle, as does the Arbeiterkammer. In practice this means: don’t wait until after the start of your shift, but report as early as possible, ideally before work begins or at the time specified by company rules.
Which method 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. Employees should not rely on informal chat channels if the company has clear rules that sick leave must be reported to a specific person, manager, or HR department.
The notification does not need to be long. Relevant information is inability to work, expected duration, availability for organizational follow-up questions, and a note that a medical certificate will be provided if required. The exact diagnosis does not belong in the sick notice. Someone who is ill does not have to explain in detail what condition they have.
What the certificate may state
The sick leave certificate is a common point of dispute. According to the Arbeiterkammer, it must include the start date, expected duration and cause of the inability to work. But “cause” does not mean the medical diagnosis. Employees do not have to disclose to their 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 the Unternehmensserviceportal, it can be required from the first day, while collective agreements in practice often provide such provisions only from the fourth day. Consequently, not only the law is decisive, but also the company’s internal rules and the applicable collective agreement.
Anyone who requests a certificate should provide it promptly. If employees do not meet their reporting or proof obligations, the right to pay for the period of the delay may be lost. This is not a theoretical point: especially for short sick leaves a late certificate may seem harmless, but it can cause unnecessary disruption during payroll processing and in later inquiries.
Continued payment of wages: what is paid during illness
Anyone who is unable to work due to illness and has not caused this intentionally or through gross negligence is generally entitled to continued payment of wages. The Unternehmensserviceportal cites six weeks of full pay as the basic rule; depending on the length of the employment relationship, the entitlement can increase to up to twelve weeks. For an additional four weeks, there is entitlement to half pay.
For employees it is important that "remuneration" can be more than the fixed monthly salary. If income fluctuates, for example because of commissions, bonuses, piece-rate pay or regularly worked overtime, averaging may become relevant. In its information for employers, the USP points out that when pay levels differ, the average earnings of the last fully worked weeks can play a role.
In practice, employees on sick leave should therefore not just check the net amount on their next payslip. Do sick leave days, continued payment of wages, variable components and any corrections match up? The jobspot.at-article "Check payslip helps to systematically read wage and salary statements.
When sick pay comes into play
If the employer's continued payment of wages is exhausted or reduced, sickness benefits from social insurance may become relevant. The ÖGK explains that sickness benefits are intended to partially compensate for loss of income and require a medically certified period of incapacity for work. According to the USP, the entitlement is suspended in whole or in part as long as a corresponding entitlement to continued payment of wages by the employer still exists.
For employees, the transition is important. Sickness benefit is not automatically paid into the account simply because someone is ill for an extended period. Depending on the situation, documents are required, such as an employment and earnings certificate. The USP points out that employers must submit this certificate to the responsible health insurance carrier so that sickness benefits can be paid out.
Anyone who is sick for an extended period should therefore check early: Is the sick leave correctly registered with the ÖGK? Has the employment and salary confirmation been completed? Are there any questions about entitlement? If there is financial uncertainty, it makes sense not to wait until 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 allowed to do nothing while on sick leave. It's not that simple. The decisive point is that employees must not do anything that could delay recovery. The Chamber of Labour gives the 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 conduct their own experiments. Anyone unsure whether walks, short errands, exercise, travel or private appointments are compatible with sick leave should consult their doctor and take the recommendation seriously. Particularly sensitive are activities that might give the employer the impression that the inability 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 stay can also be relevant. The Chamber of Labour points out that a changed place of stay must be reported to the ÖGK; for a stay abroad prior approval from the ÖGK is required. Anyone who, for example, travels to family in another federal state or wants to recuperate abroad should not resolve such questions afterwards.
Termination during sick leave: what is realistic
Many employees believe that they cannot be terminated 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 termination dates apply. The Unternehmensserviceportal lists, in the case of employer-initiated termination, among other things: pay until the end of the notice period, prorated special payments, compensation in lieu of vacation, employment documents and the right to continued payment of wages in the event of termination during an illness.
That means: sick leave does not automatically protect against the end of the employment relationship, but it does not simply erase entitlements. Anyone who receives a termination while on sick leave should not sign anything hastily and should check the deadlines, outstanding claims and the further course of their sick leave. It is especially important to distinguish between termination, dismissal and mutually agreed termination.
Anyone who is just starting a new job should also consider sick leave and the probationary period separately. During onboarding it pays to learn the company’s reporting procedures early on. The jobspot.at article First day at work shows which organizational points should already be clarified when starting a job.
Working from home, part-time and flexible jobs
Flexible work does not change the reporting requirement. If someone is sick and unable to work while working from home, they are not simply “less reachable” but must report sick leave. Conversely, not every minor illness automatically equals incapacity for work. What matters is whether the specific work is possible and reasonable from a health perspective. In case of doubt, this should be clarified by a doctor.
For part-time work, flexitime and changing shifts, sick leave days are often harder to classify. Therefore the work schedule, working-time records and sick leave should align. If the sick leave falls on a scheduled working day, it must be recorded correctly; if schedules are changed at short notice, employees should document the course. The jobspot.at article Record working hours helps to keep such records in order.
Clear communication is equally important for employers. Good companies explain who should be informed in case of illness, how confirmations should be transmitted, how data protection is maintained and when return-to-work interviews are appropriate. This reduces conflicts and shows employees that illness is not treated as personal misconduct.
Conclusion: Report sick leave properly, secure your entitlements
Sick leave in Austria is not a peripheral issue but part of professional work organization. Employees should report it immediately, have it medically confirmed, provide any requested certificates in good time, and not disclose a diagnosis. Employers must correctly handle continued payment of wages, data protection, and supporting documentation.
The best next step is a bit of preparation: note the internal reporting procedure at the company, know the responsible contact person, arrange medical confirmation promptly, and check payslips for sick leave. If anything is unclear, ask in writing and objectively. 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: Sick pay
- ÖGK: Continued payment of wages in case of illness
- Company Service Portal: Termination and Entitlements
