Indonesia does not cap sick leave with a number of days. Instead it caps it with a declining wage scale: an employee who is unable to work through illness keeps receiving wages from their employer, at 100% for the first four months, then 75%, then 50%, then 25% — and the employer cannot terminate them for that absence for twelve months.

This guide covers Indonesian sick leave in 2026: the wage scale, the certificate requirement, the twelve-month protection, menstrual leave, and where BPJS fits.

Key takeaways

  • Under the Manpower Law (Law No. 13 of 2003), as amended by the Job Creation Law, employers must continue paying wages to an employee unable to work due to illness.
  • The rate declines: 100% for the first 4 months, 75% for the second 4 months, 50% for the third 4 months, and 25% thereafter until employment ends.
  • The employer may not terminate an employee who is absent through illness for up to 12 consecutive months, supported by a doctor’s certificate.
  • A medical certificate is the condition for paid sick leave — an absence without one is not protected.
  • BPJS Kesehatan covers medical treatment and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan covers work accidents; neither replaces the employer’s wage obligation for ordinary illness.

The declining wage scale

The wage obligation is the core of Indonesian sick leave. Where an employee is unable to perform work due to illness, the employer must continue paying:

Period of continuous illness Wage payable
First 4 months 100%
Second 4 months 75%
Third 4 months 50%
Fourth 4 months onward 25% until the employer terminates the relationship

“Wage” for this purpose means the employee’s wage as defined in the Manpower Law — basic wage plus fixed allowances. Variable and non-fixed allowances sit outside the calculation.

The scale runs on continuous illness. Short, separate absences are simply paid at 100% as ordinary sick leave; the step-down only becomes relevant for a long, uninterrupted absence.

Twelve months of protection

Article 153 of the Manpower Law lists prohibited grounds for termination, including where an employee is unable to work due to illness for up to 12 consecutive months, evidenced by a doctor’s letter. A termination on that ground within the twelve months is void by law, and the employee is entitled to reinstatement.

After twelve months of continuous illness, the employer may terminate — but with the statutory termination entitlements: severance pay, service appreciation pay, and compensation, calculated under the Job Creation Law’s implementing regulation. The employee may also resign on health grounds with entitlement to those payments.

The interaction with the wage scale matters: an employee reaching month 13 is on 25% of wages and is now terminable, but termination triggers the full severance package. Employers who let the situation drift without a plan end up paying both.

Short absences and certificates

For ordinary short illness, the practical rule is straightforward: an employee who is sick and provides a doctor’s certificate (surat keterangan dokter) is entitled to be paid. There is no statutory waiting period and no minimum service.

An absence without a certificate is not protected. Employers may treat repeated uncertified absence as a disciplinary matter under the company regulations (peraturan perusahaan) or collective agreement, and the Manpower Law’s provisions on absence without valid reason — five or more consecutive working days without written explanation and after two proper summonses — can ultimately support termination.

Company regulations should set out the notification process and the certificate requirement clearly, since the Manpower Law leaves the procedure to the employer.

Menstrual leave

Article 81 of the Manpower Law gives female employees the right to take the first and second day of menstruation as leave if they feel pain, and not to be required to work on those days.

In practice the entitlement is subject to the notification process set out in the company regulations or collective agreement, and many employers require a doctor’s note or a simple notification. It is paid leave and it is separate from ordinary sick leave — it should not draw down any other entitlement.

Where BPJS fits

Indonesia’s social insurance sits alongside, not instead of, the employer’s wage obligation:

  • BPJS Kesehatan (health) covers the employee’s medical treatment — consultations, hospitalisation, medication — through the national health insurance scheme. It does not pay wages.
  • BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (employment) includes JKK, the work accident benefit, which covers medical costs and pays wage replacement for work-related injury and disease, plus disability and death benefits.

For a work accident under JKK, the wage replacement structure is its own — commonly 100% for an initial period, stepping down thereafter — and it is funded by the scheme rather than by the employer’s own payroll. Employers must report work accidents to BPJS Ketenagakerjaan within the reporting deadline, and must not treat an occupational injury as ordinary sick leave.

Employer obligations

Indonesian employers have six core duties:

  1. Continue paying wages on the 100/75/50/25% scale for continuous illness.
  2. Not terminate for illness within the first 12 consecutive months of absence.
  3. Require and accept doctor’s certificates as the basis for paid sick leave, with the process set in company regulations.
  4. Grant menstrual leave under article 81 without drawing on other entitlements.
  5. Register employees with BPJS Kesehatan and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan and pay contributions on correct wages.
  6. Report work accidents to BPJS Ketenagakerjaan so JKK applies rather than ordinary sick leave.

Common pitfalls

1. Applying a fixed sick day allowance

Indonesia has no statutory number of paid sick days. Capping paid sick leave at 12 or 14 days a year, as many multinational policies do, conflicts with the wage continuation obligation.

2. Terminating inside the 12 months

Termination on illness grounds within twelve months of continuous absence is void by law. This is the most consequential Indonesian sick leave error and it produces reinstatement orders.

3. Miscalculating the wage base

The scale applies to wage as defined by the Manpower Law — basic plus fixed allowances. Applying it to basic only underpays; applying it to total cash including variable pay overpays.

4. Treating menstrual leave as sick leave

It is a separate article 81 entitlement. Deducting it from sick leave or annual leave removes a right the employee holds independently.

5. Routing work accidents through payroll

JKK exists and is funded by contributions the employer already pays. Handling an occupational injury as ordinary sick leave leaves the benefit unclaimed and the cost on the employer.

For more Indonesian context, see our guide to annual leave entitlement in Indonesia, the overview of the main types of leave employers manage, and our guide to absence management.

Frequently asked questions

How many sick days do Indonesian employees get?

There is no fixed number. An employee unable to work through illness continues to receive wages on a declining scale — 100% for four months, then 75%, 50%, and 25%.

Can an employer dismiss someone for long-term sickness?

Not within the first 12 consecutive months of illness supported by a doctor’s letter. After 12 months, termination is possible with full statutory severance, service appreciation pay, and compensation.

Is a doctor’s certificate required?

Yes — paid sick leave depends on it. The notification process and format should be set out in the company regulations or collective agreement.

Does BPJS pay wages during sick leave?

No. BPJS Kesehatan covers medical treatment. Wage continuation for ordinary illness is the employer’s obligation. BPJS Ketenagakerjaan’s JKK covers wage replacement for work-related injury only.

What is menstrual leave?

Female employees may take the first and second day of menstruation as paid leave if they experience pain, under article 81 of the Manpower Law. It is separate from sick leave and annual leave.

What wage is used for the declining scale?

Wage as defined in the Manpower Law — basic wage plus fixed allowances — not total cash compensation including variable elements.

Putting it into practice

Five checks cover most Indonesian sick leave risk:

  1. Replace any fixed annual sick day cap with the statutory wage continuation scale.
  2. Configure the 4-month step-downs to trigger automatically on continuous absence.
  3. Set a hard block on termination for illness within 12 months of continuous absence.
  4. Create menstrual leave as its own absence type with no draw-down on other balances.
  5. Route work-related injury to BPJS Ketenagakerjaan JKK before it touches ordinary sick leave.
You can take advantage of the free 14 days trial and explore Leave Balance.

A leave management system that tracks continuous absence duration, applies the wage step-downs on schedule, and blocks termination inside the protected window keeps Indonesia’s open-ended entitlement predictable for both payroll and HR.

Sources

Last updated: 26 July 2026. This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Implementing regulations under the Job Creation Law continue to evolve — confirm current requirements with the Ministry of Manpower and check your company regulations.