Israel’s Sick Leave Allowance Will Rise After New Labor Deal

Workers in Israel will soon receive higher annual sick leave allowances after Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David and private-sector employers' association head Dubi Amitai signed a new agreement on Monday. The rate for private-sector workers will rise from 418 shekels per day to 451.5 shekels, while public-sector workers will get 511.6 shekels per day, up from 471.4 shekels over the past three years, in line with the consumer price index.

The change is expected to add several hundred shekels a year for each worker, and officials estimate up to three million employees could benefit. The adjustment comes after two years in which the rates were frozen and one sick leave day was cut each year to help finance the costs of the war.

The agreement was sent to the Labor Ministry on Monday and still needs Labor Minister Yariv Levin's signature to become an expanded order that would apply to all workers and employers in the economy. The increase is also tied to inflation and the rising cost of living.

Amitai told ynet that even if the minister's signature is delayed and the new amount cannot be paid in the next salary, workers will still receive the higher allowance this year, usually in June and July. If there is any delay, the payment will be made retroactively. Under the law, the allowance is normally paid with monthly salaries between June and September each year.

Bar-David said the deal gives workers back what they carried during two years of war, while Amitai said it corrects an injustice toward private-sector employees who kept the economy running during the conflict.