Czech Republic reports over a million on short‑term work contracts amid sick‑leave waiting‑period debate

Data from the Czech Social Security Administration show that in 2025 there were 2.45 million terminated short‑term sick‑leave cases, a 0.6 % year‑on‑year rise, with total sick‑leave days reaching 76.3 million (up 0.4 %). In the first quarter of 2026 terminated cases fell 19.3 % to 671,354 and total days fell 7.3 %, while the average length of a case grew from 27.77 to 31.90 days. Analysts note that the three‑day waiting period introduced in 2008 largely shifted absence to paid vacation or unpaid leave rather than reducing overall absenteeism, hitting low‑paid workers who cannot work from home.

A separate statistical release shows more than one million Czechs were employed under a "contract for work" (dohoda o provedení práce) during the past year, mainly as supplementary income alongside a primary job. The share of primary‑income holders on such contracts remains a minority. Eurostat estimates that 3.5 % of the Czech working‑age population held a second job in the previous year.