Sick Leave Pay in Japan: Conditions, Amount and How to Claim the Injury and Sickness Allowance

The main source of income during a leave of absence in Japan is the injury and sickness allowance (shobyo teate-kin), paid by your health insurer rather than your employer. It comes to roughly two thirds of a daily wage, and the payment period is capped at a cumulative total of one year and six months from the date payments begin.

This article covers the public benefit and any employer-specific allowances available during leave: the qualifying conditions, how the amount is calculated, and how to apply.

There Is No Benefit Actually Called "Leave Allowance"

The phrase is common in search queries, but no benefit under Japanese law goes by the name kyushoku teate. In practice what exists falls into two categories.

• The public benefit: The injury and sickness allowance under health insurance. If you meet the requirements you receive it regardless of your employer's own rules.
• Employer-specific allowances: Leave pay, condolence payments and the like. Whether any exist depends on the work rules, and in practice most employers offer none.

In other words, treat the injury and sickness allowance as the thing that will actually support your income. How your employer handles wages is a separate question.

Four Conditions for the Injury and Sickness Allowance

All four must be satisfied.

1. You are receiving treatment for an illness or injury arising outside work: Where the cause is your job or your commute, workers' accident compensation insurance applies instead.
2. You are unable to work: This means being unable to perform the job you held previously. The assessment draws on your treating physician's opinion.
3. You have completed a three-day waiting period: Three consecutive days away from work are required, with payment starting from the fourth day. Weekends and paid leave count toward those three days.
4. You are not receiving wages: Where wages are paid but fall below the allowance, the difference is payable.

The Word "Consecutive" Does the Work Here

This is where people most often come unstuck. Days off scattered across the week do not complete the waiting period. If you are off on Monday and Tuesday, come in on Wednesday, then take Thursday off again, you have not yet reached the point where payment begins.

How Much Is Payable

The standard monthly remuneration for the twelve consecutive months preceding the date payments begin is averaged, converted to a daily figure, and two thirds of that daily figure becomes the daily payment. Note that the basis is your standard monthly remuneration for social insurance purposes, not two thirds of your take-home pay.

Where your insured period falls short of twelve months, a separate calculation rule applies. If you go on leave not long after joining an employer, the figure can differ from what you expect, so it is worth checking in advance.

The Payment Period Is Cumulative

This is an area where a legislative amendment changed the treatment. Previously, once a year and six months had elapsed from the date payments began, entitlement ended there even if you had returned to work partway through. Now the rule is a cumulative total of one year and six months of days actually paid.

Because of this change, if you return to work and later go back on leave, the period you spent working is not counted and remains available. Rushing back before you are ready can set recovery back, so this rule is worth knowing.

How to Apply

The application form has three sections to complete: yours, your physician's, and your employer's.

1. Obtain the form from your health insurer's website
2. Complete your own section, then ask your treating physician to complete the medical opinion section (a documentation fee usually applies)
3. Ask your employer to complete the employer certification section
4. Submit the form to your health insurer

Because three parties are involved, a considerable amount of time passes between applying and receiving money. Planning for the gap between the start of your leave and the first payment matters more than anything else in practical terms. Most people apply monthly, though you can also submit for several months at once.

For the requirements and forms in detail, check the primary source published by your health insurer. If you are covered by the Japan Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo), its page on being absent from work through illness or injury sets this out. If your employer belongs to a health insurance society, that society may offer additional top-up benefits, so check its own rules.

Employer Allowances and Condolence Payments

Some employers provide their own allowance on top of the injury and sickness allowance. Mutual aid association benefits or a group insurance policy may also be in place. These are not always paid automatically and often require you to apply, so confirming the position with HR at your leave interview will save you from missing something.

Common Questions About the Injury and Sickness Allowance

Can part-time workers claim it?

What matters is not your employment type but whether you are insured under your employer's health insurance. If you are enrolled, you are covered. National Health Insurance, by contrast, generally has no injury and sickness allowance, so the self-employed are outside its scope.

Does it cover mental health conditions?

The test is not the diagnosis but whether an illness or injury arising outside work has left you unable to work. Where your treating physician confirms that treatment is required and that you cannot work, it can qualify.

Can I claim it alongside unemployment benefits?

Not at the same time. The injury and sickness allowance presupposes that you cannot work, while unemployment benefits presuppose that you are ready to work immediately. If you cannot work straight after leaving a job, there is a procedure to extend the period during which unemployment benefits remain claimable, so check with Hello Work.

Does it continue after I resign?

Where certain requirements are met, including the length of your insured period up to the date of resignation, payment can continue. The conditions are detailed, however: attending work on your final day, for instance, can cause you to fall outside them. Always check with your health insurer before deciding to resign.

Summary: The Support Is Mainly Public

What supports your income during leave is not an employer allowance but the injury and sickness allowance from health insurance. The amount is two thirds of a daily figure derived from your standard monthly remuneration, and the payment period is a cumulative one year and six months. Planning around the three-day consecutive waiting period and the gap between applying and being paid is the key to managing money in the early stages of leave.

This article sets out general principles. Requirements and amounts vary with your health insurer and your individual circumstances, and are subject to legislative change. For specific procedures, check the primary sources and consult your health insurer or a qualified professional such as a certified social insurance and labour consultant.