thelocal.se (11.03.2020) Sweden is temporarily scrapping the 'karensdag' – the first unpaid day of your sick leave – in response to the coronavirus, the government announced as it outlined measures to handle the crisis. The decision means that workers will get sickness benefits from the moment they have to be absent from work due to illness, and the state rather than employers will foot the bill for the cost of the first day. It comes into effect today, and will apply for one and a half month for now. Swedish law normally guarantees sick pay from the second day of illness, but concerns had been raised that employees would turn up at work despite feeling ill in order not to lose out on the first day's salary. Sweden's Public Health Agency has urged people to stay at home if they develop symptoms of the coronavirus, however mild, and especially not go to work if they come into contact with risk groups.
Sweden is temporarily scrapping the 'karensdag' – the first unpaid day of your sick leave – in response to the coronavirus, the government announced as it outlined measures to handle the crisis. The decision means that workers will get sickness benefits from the moment they have to be absent from work due to illness, and the state rather than employers will foot the bill for the cost of the first day. It comes into effect today, and will apply for one and a half month for now. Swedish law normally guarantees sick pay from the second day of illness, but concerns had been raised that employees would turn up at work despite feeling ill in order not to lose out on the first day's salary.