FAQ
How is sick leave calculated and why doesn’t it match the salary? Understanding employees’ rights

What will be discussed

• How is sick leave paid?
• How to calculate your length of service?
• Why is the salary lower after sick leave?
• Can sick leave be higher than the salary?
• What is the current minimum payment?
• How is sick leave paid if you have multiple jobs?
• How long can sick leave last?
• Can salary be withheld if you don’t submit a sick leave certificate?
• What if sick leave is opened after the end of the workday?
• Is it worthwhile to take sick leave starting on Saturday?
• Can you be recalled from sick leave?
• What to do if you fall ill during vacation?
• Can vacation be denied due to frequent sick leaves?
• Can you be fired because of a long sick leave?
• Can you receive sick leave after dismissal?
• Why might sick leave for child care not be paid?

This article was previously published on Onlíner. We have updated it to share current legal information again—explanations of laws, useful instructions, and recommendations. Such materials retain their importance and can help you better navigate your rights and obligations.

How is sick leave paid?

The amount of sick leave depends on two factors: how much you earned in the last 18 months and your length of service.

For the calculation, they take the salary for the last 18 months before the quarter in which the employee fell ill and divide it by a maximum of 547 days. If there were months without work during this period, they are not excluded. Only certain periods are not counted in the calculation:

• temporary disability;
• pregnancy and childbirth;
• childcare leave up to 3 years;
• an additional day for a mother, father, or guardian of a disabled child under 18, paid at the average daily earnings from state social insurance funds;
• downtime not through the employee’s fault;
• leave without pay or with partial pay preservation at the employer’s initiative;
• periods of military service and service in certain law enforcement agencies, which are considered when assigning benefits.

When calculating benefits based on place of employment under an employment contract, payments on which mandatory insurance contributions were accrued are taken into account, including earnings from previous employers.

Next, they take the average daily earnings, multiply by the number of sick days, and adjust the amount based on seniority. If mandatory insurance contributions were paid for the employee for less than 10 years, sick leave is paid at 80% of the average daily earnings. If contributions were paid for 10 years or more — at 100%. In other words, the longer the

The minimum benefit amount is calculated based on MZP. As of January 1, 2026, it amounts to 858 rubles. If the maternity leave does not last a full month, the amount is calculated proportionally according to the number of calendar days of illness. For calculation purposes, the MZP for the month preceding the start month of maternity leave is used.

However, the benefit based on MZP is not granted in all cases, but only under conditions provided by legislation.

The maximum maternity leave in Belarus is limited: per month, the benefit cannot exceed three average salaries across the country.

That is, even if your average daily earnings are very high, there is a legal ceiling — three average salaries per country for a month.

How is maternity leave paid if there are multiple jobs?

If you have multiple jobs, the maternity leave will be processed through your primary place of employment. At that time, the FSSN will...