The analysis of 36 OECD countries found that Ireland is one of just six nations that exclude the self-employed from sickness benefits. Ireland introduced statutory paid sick leave in 2023 in addition to the existing sickness benefit scheme.
With a doctor’s note, up to five days of paid sick leave per year are provided with no waiting period, paid at 70pc of the daily wage, and capped at €110 per day.
“With the introduction of paid sick leave, the previous three-day waiting period for sickness benefits is now covered, providing better protection for short-term illness,” said Dr Jinwoo Lee, author of the study.
“Compared to many OECD countries where replacement rates are close to 100pc, Ireland’s 70pc rate remains relatively modest,” he added.
Dr Lee described Ireland’s reforms as “very encouraging” but said there is still room for improvement.
“Out of 36 OECD countries, excluding Korea and the United States, a majority — 24 — make coverage compulsory for the self-employed, while six allow voluntary enrolment, and another six exclude the self-employed entirely. Ireland falls into the latter category, excluding the self-employed from coverage,” he said.
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Today’s News in 90 Seconds, Sunday, October 12
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are six countries where self-employed workers cannot enroll. Among these, Switzerland and the United Kingdom provide only statutory paid sick leave, making coverage unavailable for the self-employed. Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and the Netherlands allow voluntary enrolment for the self-employed.
The study noted that during the pandemic, countries such as Finland, Norway, Sweden and Canada expanded paid sick leave to cover self-employed and freelance workers and ensured it was available from the first day of illness.
In Ireland, Dr Lee added, part-time workers must earn at least €39 per week and have two years of prior contributions to qualify for sickness benefits — a high threshold compared to other OECD countries. Under international labour standards, the minimum benefit duration is 26 weeks. Dr Lee said only three OECD countries — Israel, Canada and Lithuania — fall short of this standard.
The study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine, said the Covid-19 pandemic had underscored the importance of paid sick leave and driven a global movement to strengthen protections for workers.
Dr Lee said: “When looking at income replacement levels, Ireland, along with the UK, Canada, and Portugal, provides less than 45pc of prior earnings by the second week of sickness.”