The IMSS grants more than 171 thousand sick leaves in 14 days

The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) informed that from January 10 to this date, it has granted more than 171 thousand authorizations for COVID Sick Leave Permits, through the IMSS Digital application or online, to workers who present respiratory symptoms.

“This process is aimed at workers insured directly by this institution as holders, and it is granted on one single occasion and covers up to seven days”, it emphasized.

Mauricio Hernández, director of Economic and Social Benefits of the IMSS, estimated that during the first semester of 2022, the Institute will issue 1.5 million temporary sick leaves from work, although the range of this prediction could swing between 500 thousand and three million, which would imply an expense of 1,250 million pesos. 741 thousand sick leaves were granted in the first semester of 2021, with an expense of 1,270 million pesos.

The Institute explained that if the worker needs more time, it is recommended that he goes to his family doctor for a medical examination and for the therapeutic treatment to be followed to be defined.

With the COVID Sick Leave Permit, the worker obtains his sick leave and the corresponding payment to his bank account easily, quickly and without the need of taking transportation to collect the subsidy, which helps in breaking the chains of transmission of the virus and complying with home confinement.

“Likewise, it is important that Mexican employers give validity to the COVID Sick Leave Permits, given that the legal and administrative effects are equivalent to a temporary sick leave from work”, The IMSS pointed out.

This leave is available to working people with coronavirus symptoms or those asymptomatic people who have a laboratory test with a positive result. Those interested in obtaining this leave must fill out a questionnaire through the IMSS Digital application or at this website.

The worker must enter his CURP [Personal Population Registry Code], his Social Security Number (NSS), Zip Code and click “Start” to answer the questionnaires about symptoms, vaccination and preexisting conditions.

Subsequently, the system will ask him to enter additional information: contact telephone number and, whether he has proof of respiratory disease – although this is not a condition for granting the COVID Sick Leave Permits – when symptoms occur.

To complete the request, an email address must be provided as well as  the interbank CLABE account for receiving the corresponding payment.

Ricardo Martínez, partner at the De la Vega y Martínez Rojas Law Firm, a specialist in labor law, recently explained that a significant number of employees gets stuck when entering the bank information, as they sometimes don’t have all of the necessary information, or their payment is not made through banking services.

Some workers have complained through social media that there are malfunctions in the application and others have said that they did not receive the payment corresponding to the sick leave.

The IMSS explained that, upon obtaining the COVID-19 Sick Leave Permit, the worker must notify his employer with the objective of justifying his absence from his work center,

If you require telephone guidance or have any questions about the application, you can dial 800 2222 668, option zero, to receive advice.

This strategy is not subject to the epidemiological traffic light and does not require a COVID test as a mandatory requirement. The duration of this Permit is of seven days for beneficiaries with symptoms and five days for asymptomatic persons who have a positive test.

The COVID-19 Sick Leave Permit gives the worker an economic subsidy corresponding to 60 percent of his salary starting on the fourth day of sick leave; it falls within the category of general illness.

In the event that infected people develop more serious symptoms or discomfort due to the illness during the seven-day sick leave, they must seek medical attention or call 800 2222 668, with the objective of avoiding complications.