Uzbekistan to launch new state-funded sick leave system from July 1

Under the updated regulations, employers will only be responsible for covering a worker's sick leave for the first 5 calendar days of illness within a calendar year. Previously, businesses had to shoulder the entire financial burden of temporary disability allocations. The new system applies equally to public and private sector employees covered by mandatory state social insurance, provided they have at least 6 months of insurance history.

The amount of compensation will depend directly on an individual's accumulated insurance history. Workers with 6–8 years of experience will receive 60% of their average salary, while those with more than 8 years of service will be eligible for 80%. Furthermore, a 20% increase on top of these rates will be applied to specific vulnerable categories, including individuals with Group I and II disabilities, parents caring for four or more children under 18, and families raising a child with a disability.

The reform also extends social guarantees for childcare. Working parents can receive benefits for up to 20 additional calendar days to care for a sick child under 14, and up to 40 additional calendar days if the child has a disability and is under 16.

One of the most important aspects of the new system, which sets it apart from previous frameworks, is its full automation. Citizens will no longer need to submit physical applications or gather extra paperwork. As soon as an electronic sick leave certificate is issued by a medical professional, the digital system proactively verifies the citizen's official employment, insurance history, and income data to automatically assign the benefit.

Disability payments will be processed through the Baraka system, which automatically opens a virtual card for each recipient to receive the transfers. The payment schedule follows strict biweekly deadlines: benefits approved between the 1–15 of the month will be paid out by the 25 of that same month, while those processed between the 16–31 will be transferred by the 10 of the following month.

The National Agency for Social Protection emphasized that the reform aims to protect citizens' income during periods of illness, alleviate the financial strain on employers, incentivize formal employment, and reinforce the country's broader social safety net.