Sick Leave

Income

The rules on paid sick leave come from the Labour Code.

Sick leave during the first six months of continuous employment with the same employer is unpaid. If the length of employment is greater than six months, employee is entitled to sick leave with full pay for up to 12 days and to sick leave on half pay for up to 24 days in each period of 12 months’ continuous employment.

An employee may avail the paid sick leave if they produce a certificate of incapacity signed by a registered medical practitioner. Sick leave is not carried forward from one year to another.

Source: §123 of the Labour Code, 1992; ISSA Country Profile Lesotho 2017

Medical Care

There is a provision for free medical care under the Workmen’s Compensation Act and its 2014 regulations. For medical expenses, the following amounts are provided under the law:

1. Maximum amount of 33,400 maloti in respect of medical, surgical and hospital treatment, skilled nursing services and supply of medicines;
2. Maximum amount of 16,700 maloti in respect of supply, maintenance repair and removal of non-articulated artificial limbs or any other artificial appliances;
3. Maximum amount of 5,010 maloti in respect of reasonable charges incurred in the transfer of a worker to and from a place where necessary treatment is available. 

Job Security

No provisions on the job security for sick workers could be identified within the law. However, the law prohibits the employer from dismissing any employee who absence from work is justified under the Labour Code, which means that the employer cannot dismiss employees availing the statutory sick leave. The total length of statutory sick leave is however 36 days per year.

Source: §66 of the Labour Code, 1992