Changed Your Address While on Sick Leave? ZUS Demands Notification Within 3 Days

Employees on sick leave who change their place of residence must notify both their employer and the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) within three days or risk losing their benefits.

The Obligation to Update Your Location

Traveling to stay with family or relocating during sick leave is permitted, but failure to inform ZUS and your employer of your whereabouts can have serious consequences. If inspectors arrive at your original address and cannot locate you, you may be denied benefits or forced to return payments already received.

Specifying Your Location During Medical Certification

When a physician issues an electronic sick leave certificate (e-ZLA), they should record the address where you will actually reside during your recovery. This does not necessarily have to be your registered permanent address; it must reflect where you are physically staying to facilitate potential compliance checks.

Strict Three-Day Reporting Deadline

If you find it necessary to change your location after your leave has already commenced, you must notify both your employer and ZUS. You are legally required to provide this updated information within three days of moving to ensure your status remains in order.

Traveling Abroad While on Sick Leave

It is possible to recover abroad, provided the trip is justified by your health condition and does not impede your treatment. You must still provide your exact foreign address to ZUS and your employer within three days, and individuals with strict “bed rest” requirements (code 1) should exercise caution, as travel may be viewed as non-compliant with medical advice.

Purpose of Compliance Checks

ZUS and employers conduct checks to verify that sick leave is being used for its intended purpose—recovery. Inspectors verify your presence at the declared address and ensure that you are not working or performing activities that could delay your return to health, such as heavy labor, though daily essential errands remain permitted.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failing to report a change of address can result in the loss of sickness benefits for the entire duration of the leave. If inspectors are unable to verify your location due to a lack of notification, it creates a presumption of non-compliance, leaving you vulnerable to financial penalties and benefit revocation.