Rural Family Doctors Association Supports Consideration of Partial Incapacity for Work

Ainis Dzalbs, president of the Latvian Rural Family Doctors Association, has expressed support for the consideration of introducing partial incapacity for work in Latvia, following a proposal by Alise Nicmane-Aišpure, head of the Latvian Association of Family Doctors.

Nicmane-Aišpure has suggested evaluating the possibility of a partial sick leave certificate, which would allow individuals to gradually return to work during recovery. Dzalbs notes that such practices already exist in several European countries, including Germany and Scandinavia. He emphasizes that partial incapacity would be suitable for patients recovering from musculoskeletal conditions, oncological diseases, or cerebrovascular accidents, where long-term treatment and rehabilitation are needed.

According to Dzalbs, an early partial return to work could promote socialization, reduce risks of depression and isolation, and help maintain professional skills. Additionally, this time could be used for further training or skill enhancement. However, he points out that before implementing such a model, in-depth research of foreign experience is necessary, along with an evaluation of organizational aspects, benefits, and risks.

Nicmane-Aišpure has previously noted that the current system is inadequate, especially for long-term illnesses. People often return to work too early due to financial reasons, hindering full recovery. Partial sick leave would allow employers to pay only for actual work performed, while the state would cover the remaining period with sickness benefits. This could also reduce state expenditures.

Kaspars Gorkšs, Director General of the Latvian Employers' Confederation, has identified potential challenges such as work planning, replacing partially incapacitated employees, and time tracking. He mentions that similar solutions in Finland and Sweden rely on mutual agreements between employers and employees.

The Ministry of Welfare has indicated that such a proposal has not been on its agenda so far. Introducing partial incapacity would represent a conceptually new social insurance solution requiring inter-sectoral evaluation, including the development of unified medical criteria and a review of sickness benefit calculation procedures.