Research in recent years has shown that about 15 percent of sick leave in Serbia was unfounded. As Svetlana Budimcevic from the Union of Employers of Serbia said, the estimate of the Republic Institute for Health Insurance is that about 40.000 people abused sick leave.

Budmičević said that they receive complaints from employers that the problem of false sick leave is often noticed and that this practice is more common in the summer period when seasonal jobs are performed. As she explained, it happens in both the private and state sectors, H1 reported.

"Everyone in the country has a problem and we are yet to face a labor shortage." You have such a work organization, all employers are trying to rationalize their costs and it is difficult to decide on new hires, because there is still uncertainty, I will not say that we should be afraid, but we should be optimistic and work as everything will be good. In the private sector, you do not have the luxury of having several employees in one workplace, but each workplace is planned so that the absence of one employee is felt by both the employer and colleagues. The employer wants to finish the work on time so as not to be out of work, and the problem is that he cannot find labor during the day," says Budmičević.

She says that 40.000 false sick leave is a very high number in these times, which is a serious situation. "There is a lot of uncertainty and every employer wants to keep their job. Therefore, any absence is disadvantageous for everyone, not only for the employer but also for the whole team. It is a big burden for the state as well," she adds.