Sickness absence and accidents: what to report and check
Distinguish temporary incapacity, medical clearance and Social Security registration, and organise your next steps if you cannot work.
6 min read · Sources checked on
What to keep in mind
- Sickness absence does not mean the contract has ended.
- Healthcare and financial benefits are different issues.
- Report the absence and keep your documents.
General guidance for employees in Spain. The collective agreement, employment relationship and circumstances can change the answer. Seek employment advice for a specific dispute or deadline.
Three similar expressions, different effects
Temporary incapacity is a situation in which illness or an accident temporarily prevents work and healthcare is required. The competent service or body must intervene. Proof of attending an appointment is not always a sickness certificate.
Medical sick leave
Certifies temporary inability to work. It is not itself resignation or dismissal.
Medical clearance
Ends the incapacity process under the stated terms. Check its effective date and review routes if you disagree.
TGSS registration or deregistration
Describes your Social Security registration status. Employment registration may continue during sickness absence.
Who to notify and what to keep
Notify the employer through its channel that you cannot attend. Since April 2023, workers do not have to deliver the employer’s paper copy of sickness, continuation or clearance certificates: information is transmitted through institutional channels. Keep your copy and attend appointments. Report the absence without sharing your diagnosis with colleagues.
Ordinary illness or work-related contingency
The cause of incapacity affects the responsible body, conditions and amount. If it happens at work, explain the circumstances to healthcare staff and report the incident to the employer. Do not calculate benefits as a percentage of net pay: a regulatory base applies, and collective-agreement top-ups may exist. If the cause is disputed, ask INSS about determining the contingency.
Explore a worked example
Someone is injured moving loads and is told to describe it as unrelated to work.
How to interpret it
The cause should not be chosen for convenience. Describe the actual facts for assessment by the competent body.
A useful next step
Seek care, keep reports and incident details, and seek advice if there is disagreement.
If clearance arrives, the contract ends or pressure arises
Read each notice and its effective date. Routes for challenging medical clearance depend on the issuing body and stage of the process; deadlines may be very short. Do not ignore appointments. If the contract ends during incapacity, ask INSS or the mutual insurer about payment and SEPE about later effects. Dismissal during sick leave is not automatically classified identically in every case: seek advice on cause, discrimination, evidence and deadlines.
My preparation checklist
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