How Belarus Calculates Sick Pay for Young Professionals and Mothers After Maternity Leave

Author and Editor-in-Chief: Vitaliy Kisterny 10.09.2026 00:30:00

In Belarus, when calculating temporary disability benefits for those who have just started a job or recently returned from maternity leave, the principle of “earnings or minimum” applies. If an employee’s actual income falls below the established threshold, the payroll department is required to calculate sick pay based on the minimum wage (MW).

For reference, the current minimum wage is 858 rubles.

The press service of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection explained other important nuances of the issue in its Telegram channel.

Photo: © Belnovosti / Money and Documents. Author Vitaliy Kisterny

How it Works in Practice

When work experience has just begun and health already fails—this is a typical situation for recent graduates. In this case, the law sides with the employee. The base for calculating the benefit will be the salary the person earned before going on sick leave.

However, if recalculating by calendar days yields a negligible amount (below the state minimum), the calculator will replace the actual figures with the normative ones. This serves as a safeguard against a situation where, due to lack of experience, an employee receives pennies. The minimum wage of 858 rubles serves as the benchmark here.

The situation is more complicated for women who have returned from maternity leave and almost immediately fell ill. The logic of “little worked—little you get” does not apply here.

The maternity leave period is automatically deducted from the calculation period. In practice, this means that the average earnings are calculated using the months before the child’s birth,