Fictitious Sick Days Fueled 83% of 2025 Public Sector Lost Workdays

Israel's public sector experienced a significant decrease in lost workdays in 2025, totaling approximately 36,000 days, a notable drop from the previous year, according to a report by the Ministry of Finance's Wage and Employment Agreements Department. The report highlights a historical trend of improving labor relations in the country.

During 2025, 11 new labor disputes were opened across various public sectors, including education, the Population and Immigration Authority, and institutions like the National Road Safety Authority and Ben-Gurion University. Eleven full strikes occurred in five entities, with most being short, lasting from a few hours to one day. Only one strike, at the Population and Immigration Authority, extended to two days. Additionally, two partial strikes, or sanctions, were recorded.

However, the overall figures were heavily skewed by a two-hour warning strike by the Teachers' Union in protest of a wage reduction law. This single strike, involving 120,000 employees, accounted for roughly 30,000 lost workdays, representing 83% of the total. Excluding this event, the number of lost workdays drops to just over 6,000, involving only about 2,000 employees.

The report also details the phenomenon of "starts," or fictitious sick day claims, which surged around the implementation of fiscal stabilization measures. In response to a law reducing public sector wages to fund benefits for reservists and recovery efforts in northern and southern Israel, educators staged coordinated absences using sick leave certificates. This led to school and kindergarten closures and a flood of sick leave requests, prompting the Wage Commissioner to deny recognition of these absences and leading to wage deductions and legal action.

The labor court ruled that the collective issuance of inauthentic sick notes constituted an organizational step and an "wildcat strike." A subsequent agreement in late July 2025 formalized the non-recognition of backdated or unverified sick leave. The Wage Commissioner emphasized that strikes should be a last resort and that direct dialogue and mediation are the preferred methods for resolving disputes, especially in public services that directly impact citizens' lives.