Sick Leave for employees in Thailand

Regarding the 30 days sick leave per Thailand labor law, does this include weekly holidays when you take a sick leave? That is a question from an Employee in Thailand that has just undergone a knee operation and has taken 30 days sick leave. Her employer informs her that she is over the quota of 30 days sick leave because they have included weekly holidays (which she does not work).

Under Thai Labor Law, an employee is allowed to take a sick leave as long as he/she is actually sick. The employer shall pay wages to the employee on sick leave throughout a leave period which is not more than 30 days per calendar year. If sick leave is taken for 3 consecutive working days or more, the employer may ask the employee to provide a medical certificate issued by a first class medical practitioner as an evidence of sickness. If the employee cannot provide such a certificate, he/she shall give an explanation to the employer. However, the employee must notify his/her supervisor every time when leave is taken. The sick leave period shall be calculated based on working days only, not including weekly or public holidays even though the sick leave covers several weeks in a row.

Please note that the days on which an employee is unable to work owing to work-related injury or illness or maternity leave shall not be deemed as a sick leave.

Contact ThaiLawyers for questions relating to Thai labor law.