An employee who falls ill submits a sick note and the salary still arrives; a sole proprietor who falls ill first opens the calculator. The truth about sick leave for a sole proprietorship (s.p.) is strict: shorter absences are entirely your own cost, and the system only steps in for longer ones. Let us look at the rules, the procedure and how to prepare for it – all figures apply to 2026, and you should check current values with the ZZZS (Health Insurance Institute) before making decisions.
The basic rule: 30 working days on your own, then the ZZZS
For illness or injury outside of work, the compensation for the first 30 working days is borne by the self-employed person – which for an s.p. means you receive nothing from the system, while contributions and costs keep running. From the 31st working day onwards, the compensation passes to the compulsory health insurance (ZZZS). The same split applies to an injury at work and to an occupational disease.
Important exceptions: the ZZZS from the first day
For some reasons for absence, the compensation is borne by the ZZZS from the very first day – the most important one for parents is caring for a child: the compensation is 80% of the base, as a rule up to 20 calendar days for a child up to the age of 7 (up to 10 days for an older child), with the possibility of an extension in justified cases. Isolation, accompaniment and blood donation are also covered from the first day.
How much is the compensation
The base is your average contribution base in the calendar year before the year of absence; for illness the compensation is, as a rule, 80% of the base, and for an injury at work and an occupational disease 100%. The compensation borne by the ZZZS also has a lower limit (tied to the minimum wage) and an upper cap. The practical consequence: anyone paying contributions from the minimum base should expect a modest compensation – sick leave will not replace full earnings.
The procedure: eBOL, OPSVZ and an application to the ZZZS
- Personal doctor and eBOL: sick leave is opened by your personal doctor with an electronic sick note. Under the new rules from 2026 you must notify the doctor of your absence no later than the next working day, and an in-person examination is mandatory no later than the fourth day of leave and at every extension.
- Calculation of contributions (OPSVZ): for the month of absence you submit, via the eDavki system, a calculation marked with the absence; for the period borne by the ZZZS you do not pay the contributions yourself.
- Application for compensation: after the end of the month of absence borne by the ZZZS you submit an application for payment – electronic submission (via SPOT) became mandatory for the self-employed in 2026. The ZZZS pays the compensation after the calculation, as a rule within 15 days of a complete application.
Do not work while on sick leave
Sick leave means you do not perform work – even “just one email to clients” is risky. The 2026 rules have tightened supervision and sanctions: carrying out gainful work during leave means the loss of the right to compensation, and breaches of the regime are recorded and penalised. If you are fit to work, do not open sick leave; if you are not, respect it.
Real preparation: a reserve and a resilient business
Because the first 30 working days are your cost, the best “sick-leave insurance” for an s.p. is a liquidity reserve for 2–3 months of costs and a business that can survive a week without you: documented procedures, informed clients, realistic deadlines with a buffer. Part of that resilience is also a healthy work environment – an ergonomic workstation and a boundary between work and home, such as the one makerSP_CE offers its members (equipment and a meeting room included in the membership), which is cheaper than any week of sick leave.
Frequently asked questions
Should I open sick leave for a short illness at all?
Financially, short leave does not “pay off” for an s.p. (there is no compensation), but the eBOL has other functions: it documents the absence, and the counting of days towards the 31st working day, when the burden passes to the ZZZS, also runs. For more serious illnesses, open the leave immediately.
What about a part-time s.p. and sick leave?
A part-time s.p. is covered for health and pension through employment – it claims sick leave as an employee at the employer, and the flat-rate contributions from the activity do not extend that right. Check the details for your own case with the ZZZS.
Can I “interrupt” sick leave for a single working day?
The start, duration and end of the leave are decided by the doctor or the ZZZS, not you. Working on your own initiative during leave is a breach – if you feel fit, arrange the end of the leave with your doctor.
Conclusion
Sick leave for an s.p. is the sharp edge of independence: 30 working days at your own expense, from the 31st day the ZZZS, with the main exception being child care from the first day. Know the procedure (eBOL, OPSVZ, e-application), respect the rules – and build a reserve that your doctor will one day compensate worse than your savings account.
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