Background information

Article 5 of Royal Decree Law 6/2020, of 10 March, establishes that in order to protect the public health, periods of isolation or infection of workers caused by COVID-19 shall be considered, exceptionally, as a situation similar to a work accident, exclusively for the economic benefit of temporary disability.

It must be understood that if the contagion occurs "at work", the sick must be considered an occupational accident at work for all purposes (not only the economic benefit).

The measure also applies to self-employees registered in any of the Social Security systems.

Content of measure

Royal Decree Law 6/2020 establishes that periods of isolation shall be considered as a situation similar to a work accident in terms of economic effects.

The measure provides more protection to the beneficiaries because the benefits are higher (75% of the base) in case of work accident than in case of temporary disability (60%). And it is also more advantageous for the companies because the cost is assumed by the social security from the first day of leave - in case of temporary disability, the social security assumes the cost from the 3rd day until the 20th and later on, it assumes the 75% of the cost.

The duration of the exceptional benefit will be determined by the time the sick leave (isolation leave) is registered. However, the date of the causal event will be the date on which the isolation or the illness of the employee is agreed, without prejudice to the fact that the sick leave is issued after that date.

This measure also applies to self-employees registered to any of the social security systems on the date of the causal event.

Use of measure

Unknown.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Employers' organisations Social insurance	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Informed	Informed
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Social partners were informed about the policy measure, but didn't participate directly in its design or implementation.

Views and reactions

Social partners were somehow consulted or informed.

Sources

• 11 March 2020: Royal Decree Law 6/2020, of 10 March