Can I vote while on sick leave? Not everyone knows this
Do you want to go to the polls, but you are on L4, wondering whether voting in this situation will have negative consequences? We explain whether you can vote while on sick leave.
In a few days, on October 15 to be precise, parliamentary elections will be held. However, autumn weather, frequent rainfall and increasing cold favor the occurrence of infections. The disease can affect anyone. Therefore, it may happen that some people will be on sick leave on that day due to, for example, a cold (but not only). What to do in such a situation? Can you vote while on L4? It is worth dispelling any doubts on this matter.
Can I vote while on sick leave?
Participating in voting during parliamentary elections is a civic duty of every adult Pole. However, can you “go to the ballot box” while staying on L4? Certainly, some people have been wondering about this in recent days, fearing that it may result in possible consequences from the employer or the Social Insurance Institution, for example the loss of sickness benefits.
A person who is insured and on sick leave should not perform paid work during this time or use the leave in a manner inconsistent with its intended purpose. If this happens, you may actually lose the right to sickness benefit for the entire period of its duration. However, participation in parliamentary elections is not prohibited. Performing a civic duty, i.e. voting in elections, is also not considered work.
Voting during L4 – can you always go to the polls?
The employer or the Social Insurance Institution should not express any doubts as to whether a person on sick leave can vote in the parliamentary elections if he or she has information on the leave that he or she “can walk.”
But what about people whose L4 says they “must lie down”? This does not mean that they cannot take part in the vote. Labor market expert and president of the consulting company Conperio, Mikołaj Zając, quoted by Prawa.pl, emphasizes, however, that “the patient should confirm the medical recommendations with the attending physician and, based on his opinion, decide whether participation in the elections will not interfere with them.” If the doctor determines that the sick person should not leave home during this time, he or she may apply for a postal vote. Also check what to do during your hospital stay during the elections.
Voting and loss of sickness benefit
If you are on sick leave, you cannot take up paid work. According to “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna”, in 2015 the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy specified that “performing the tasks of a member of the electoral commission cannot be combined with earning money.” It is performing a social function for the good of the local community. Therefore, if sitting on an electoral commission is not considered work, voting in elections cannot be perceived in this way.
