Uzbekistan Implements New Sick Leave Payout Rules from 1 July

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — A new procedure for assigning and paying temporary disability benefits will take effect in Uzbekistan on 1 July 2026. The reform is being implemented as part of the step-by-step introduction of a modern state social insurance system.

Earlier this year, the automated assignment of maternity benefits was launched in the country. Through the integration of key state databases, this process became entirely digital, eliminating bureaucratic barriers. Similar changes will now apply to the payment of standard sick leave.

Under the approved mechanism, the financial burden during an employee's illness will be divided. The employer will directly pay for the first 5 calendar days of disability, while the State Social Insurance Fund will assume responsibility for payments starting from the sixth day. Citizens for whom social contributions were regularly paid are eligible to receive this benefit, provided they have at least 6 months of total insurance track record.

The head of a department at the State Social Insurance Fund, Ismatillo Tursunkhujaev, explained that the unified payment rules will apply to both the public and private sectors from 1 July. The transfer of funds will occur twice a month according to a schedule: sick leave registered before the 15th of the month will be paid by the 25th of the current month, while those registered from the 16th until the end of the month will be paid by the 10th of the following month. The fund representative emphasized that requirements for continuous employment tenure have been abolished.

The amount of the payouts is directly tied to the duration of the employee's insurance track record. The head of the information service of the National Agency for Social Protection, Dilfuza Ruzmetova, reported that citizens with an insurance track record ranging from 6 months to 8 years will receive 60% of their average wage, while those with a record exceeding 8 years will receive 80%.

For certain categories of the population—individuals with group I and II disabilities, parents of four or more children under the age of 18, and citizens raising a child with a disability—the base benefit amount increases by 20%.

The calculation of payments takes into account the employee's average monthly earnings, but within limits that do not exceed 10 times the minimum wage. The payments themselves are limited to a cap of 182 calendar days per year. Furthermore, if a continuous or total period of illness exceeds 77 days, the payout coefficient will decrease by 10 percentage points.

Guarantees for the care of relatives are also provided. In the event of the illness of a child under the age of 14, the fund will additionally pay for up to 20 calendar days, and for the care of a child with a disability under the age of 16, up to 40 days.

Due to the full digitalization of the system, benefits will be assigned automatically based on an electronic sick leave certificate and will be deposited directly onto social cards opened for citizens, without requiring the submission of any applications.