Do you have sick children? You may be eligible for sick leave pay

We all know this all too well. Illness doesn’t discriminate based on age or circumstances when deciding whether to visit your home. And honestly, who hasn’t been there—kids get sick very easily. Or maybe the entire preschool is in quarantine. Grandma is still working and can’t take time off, and the same goes for your husband, who’s even away on a business trip. Maybe a babysitter could help, but you don’t actually have one in the family. So, as always, it falls on Mom. It’s perfectly clear that under these circumstances, you can’t go to work. Don’t panic—you’re fully entitled to sick leave benefits under the law. You must report this to your employer, but you should have no trouble getting time off, and the government will grant you a benefit calculated exactly the same way as sick pay. So you’ll be at home for the same pay as if you were sick yourself.

What are the conditions?
1. For example, caring for a sick family member—this could even be a grandmother—but the condition is that you must live in the same household. If any of them has a permanent residence elsewhere, you are not entitled to the caregiver’s allowance.
2. Necessary care for a child under the age of ten—in this case, the parent who will care for the child is entitled to the allowance, even if they live somewhere else entirely.
Who is eligible for this benefit?

1. Only regular employees
; if you work under a contract or from home, you are not eligible for sick leave benefits.
2. If you work for the Czech Police or are a career soldier, you are unfortunately not eligible for this benefit either.
3. Self-employed individuals—in short, business owners—are not eligible for this benefit, even if they pay into the insurance system.

How many days are you entitled to? The
benefit period is only nine days. However, if you are caring for a child on your own, without a partner, and the child is of school age and under 16, you can receive benefits for up to 16 calendar days. The key point is that if you get sick, you are not entitled to anything for the first three days and are essentially taking sick leave without pay. However, this does not apply if your child is sick. In that case, you receive benefits starting from the first day.