Starting June 2026, the legal framework for medical leave in Romania changes significantly, bringing important updates to both the calculation method and the overall handling of medical leave benefits within HR and payroll processes.
What changes in practice
A key update is the removal of the one-day reduction for several protected categories of medical leave. This applies to maternity leave, maternal risk leave, leave for caring for oncology patients, national health program cases (PNS), and hospitalization-related leave. As a result, employees in these situations will receive full compensation, leading to higher benefit amounts in practice.
At the same time, the calculation of ongoing medical leave becomes simpler. Instead of applying the one-day reduction to each certificate, it is now applied only once for the entire leave period, regardless of the number of continuation certificates issued.
What this means for employers
While the changes simplify certain aspects of the calculation process, they may also increase overall employer costs, particularly due to the removal of reductions for protected categories.
Recommended next steps
- update payroll rules and internal processes
- adjust calculation systems and templates
- train HR and payroll teams
- ensure correct application of the new rules in practice


