Can I collect extra pay while on sick leave?

Thousands of workers in Spain are eagerly awaiting lthe last week of November when they see their floor duplicated. The extra pay is then positioned as the signal that starts Christmas shoppingdinners, the lottery, among many other expenses inherent to the holidays. However, not all Spaniards have the right to receive this extra amount, only those who receive their salary in 14 payments instead of prorating it over the 12 months of the year.

Even so, for those who do have the joy of seeing their bank account suddenly injected, there are still questions to be resolved. Among them the possibility of collecting this money while you are on sick leave or when it is possible to make the right effective. For this there is the Workers’ Statute, that is, the legislation that determines the requirements, conditions and exceptions of the extraordinary pay.

Can I receive extra pay if I am on sick leave?

The Workers Statute is clear, a worker must have worked for at least six months to receive full extra pay. Otherwise, you will receive an amount proportional to the time worked. Even so, in the case of medical leave (whatever the reason), workers will be able to receive the extraordinary amount, although not necessarily the same amount as usual. Its amount will depend of the Collective Agreement to which it corresponds.

To collect the extra pay while on sick leave, it would be necessary for the worker to be registered with social security, to have listed for at least 180 days in the last five years and that the disability does not exceed 365 days (although sometimes it can be extended for 180 more days).

How to calculate extra pay while on sick leave?

During the first three days of sick leave, the worker does not receive any benefits. From the fourth day onwards, the remuneration becomes 60% of the regulatory baseand from the twenty-first day it rises to 75%. However, some collective agreements can improve these conditions and cover up to 100% of salaryincluding both ordinary and extraordinary pay.

Regarding the payment of these amounts, the responsibility is distributed: The company assumes payment during the first fifteen dayswhile The Public Administration is in charge of the provision from the second fortnight. This is stated in section C of article 45.1 of the Workers’ Statute.