The master's thesis examines the issue of employees on long-term sick leave and the necessary changes in Slovenian legislation and employer practices that would lead to a shortening of sick leave periods and limit the negative consequences of health-related absenteeism. The latter causes a loss of working days, lower economic productivity, and increased expenditure on compensation for sick leave. The master's thesis covers the causes and consequences of health-related absenteeism. It also contains an overview of the applicable Slovenian legislation, international treaties, Slovenian case law, and proposed legislative changes governing sick leave, the assessment of work capacity, and the corresponding rights in the event of reduced or lost work capacity. Based on professional literature and regulations in some other EU member states, the author argues that shortening sick leave would enable the implementation of measures to restore working capacity at an early stage of sick leave (if this would be beneficial in view of the person's health condition), more effective cooperation between the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZZZS) and the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZPIZ) in assessing work capacity, combining vocational and employment rehabilitation into a single procedure, which should be promoted as a fundamental measure for returning to work, cooperation between employers and occupational health practitioners in measures for returning to work in the early stages of sick leave and shortening waiting times in the Slovenian healthcare system. Employers play an important role, as they can reduce absenteeism among employees through preventive measures for safe and healthy work.
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