The Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) has called for a comprehensive reform of the sick leave system, which they argue imposes a significant burden on employers and contributes to inefficiencies in the labor market. Among the proposed measures is a reduction in the duration of sick leave at employers' expense from the current 42 days to just seven days. This substantial decrease aims to curb unnecessary absenteeism and improve overall productivity within businesses and state institutions.

In addition, HUP suggests the introduction of 'waiting days' for short absences from work, alongside financial disincentives for unjustified sick leaves and stronger enforcement of existing regulations. They emphasize that these reforms would not lower the level of social and health protection but would rather contribute to a fairer and more sustainable system that reduces medically unjustified sick leaves. By doing so, they believe that the costs associated with labor would be alleviated, ultimately boosting productivity and competitiveness in the economy.

HUP's proposal comes as the Croatian economy is showing signs of growth, with recent reports indicating an accelerated GDP increase of 3.6 percent. However, they warn of a triple financial burden that threatens the competitiveness of the economy. With employers contributing 16.5 percent to health insurance, HUP strongly advocates for the reforms to relieve pressure from the employers while maintaining effective health care provisions for employees.