Cyprus to tighten oversight of sick leave in the police and prisons

The Cypriot ministers of justice, finance, health and labour have agreed measures against abuse of sick leave in the public sector, especially in the police and prisons. The move was prompted by a statement from the justice minister about prison guards taking up to 200 days of leave a year, against a standard of 220 working days. The law allows paid sick leave to be extended for up to a year and a half, which means that in some departments the share of absences is unusually high.

The authorities will introduce legislative and administrative verification mechanisms. The ministers stressed that the reform will not infringe the rights of employees who are genuinely ill, but will eliminate inequality and ease the excessive burden on conscientious colleagues. The relevant statement was published by the ministries on 22 June.