Sick leave: "Contact us," the Health Insurance board urges the government

The council says it is awaiting these announcements "not without apprehension" and "is ready to respond favorably to any request" from the executive or Parliament "to find appropriate, consensual and effective solutions".

Health Minister Stéphanie Rist confirmed to the Assembly on Wednesday that the executive branch is preparing to announce measures to contain the current increase in compensation for work stoppages, which "is no longer sustainable" for the Health Insurance system.

These expenses now amount to "almost 20 billion euros", or "16% of outpatient medical expenses", she said.

In its statement, the Cnam council recalls that the Health Insurance already published "consensual proposals" on sick leave in the summer of 2025.

These include the possibility of prescribing teleworking rather than sick leave, or the obligation for the prescriber to indicate the reasons for sick leave and the indication of the durations provided for by scientific guidelines, he says.

Also included is the simplification of absenteeism control by employers, and the dissemination to employers of best practice guidelines regarding working conditions.

The council also recommends, in particular, making it mandatory for employers to subrogate daily allowances for maternity leave and sick leave (the employer continues to pay all or part of the employee's salary, but receives the daily allowances due to the employee).

The report also mentions non-consensual options, such as the creation of a bonus-malus system for company contributions based on employee absenteeism rates, or the extension to seven days of the waiting period (the number of days during which the employee does not receive daily allowances from Health Insurance).

For its part, the National Federation of Accident Victims and Disabled Workers (Fnath) criticized on Friday the return of work stoppages to the political debate.

"Rather than stigmatizing, it is urgent to shine a spotlight on the root causes" of the rise in work stoppages, she says.

The FNATH cites the increase in long-term sick leave as a result of the aging workforce, longer careers linked to pension reforms, and also the deteriorating working conditions. It calls for action to be taken on these issues.