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Medical reimbursements and salary during sick leave

If you take paid sick leave, your employer must pay you your salary. Your employer must also reimburse you for medical consultation fees if your MC was issued by a medical practitioner from a public institution or appointed by your company.

Medical reimbursement

In accordance with the Employment Act, if you have worked for at least 3 months:

  • Your employer must pay for your medical consultation fee if:
    • it results in at least one day of paid sick leave, and
    • it arises from a medical certificate given to you by a medical practitioner from a public medical institution or appointed by your company.

      Public medical institutions refer to all public and community hospitals, national specialty centres and public ambulatory surgical centres.

  • Some employers may provide medical benefits beyond what the Employment Act provides for. You should check your employment contract for details on these benefits.
  • If you fall sick during public holidays, annual leave, rest days or non-working days:
    • You will not be eligible for paid sick leave on those days.
    • You will not be eligible to claim reimbursement for medical consultation fee.

Today, companies’ medical benefits schemes generally provide reimbursement for medical consultation fees beyond the employees' paid sick leave entitlements under the EA.

Employers are not required to grant paid sick leave or reimburse medical consultation fees for cosmetic procedures. The doctor performing the examination will decide whether a procedure is for cosmetic reasons. Your company policy may cover this as an employee medical benefit.

Salary during sick leave

If you are on paid hospitalisation leave, your employer has to pay you at your gross rate of pay. If you are on paid outpatient sick leave, your employer has to pay you at your gross rate of pay, excluding any shift allowance.

For monthly shift allowances, you should consult your employer and union on whether you can continue to receive the shift allowance during your sick leave period.