Can an employee in Israel take paid leave to care for a sick child?

The child sick leave right under Section 6 of the Sick Pay Law 5736-1976 is a derivative of the employee's personal sick leave entitlement: the days come from the same accumulated pool, not from a separate budget. An employee who has accumulated the full 90-day sick leave balance may use up to 8 of those days per calendar year for child care. The 8-day annual cap is a statutory ceiling — collective agreements or employment contracts may grant more but not less. The child must be under 16 and the illness must be documented by a licensed physician or hospital; a parent's own assessment that the child is unwell is not sufficient without medical documentation. Where both parents are employed, they may split the child care days between them but cannot both claim sick pay for the same child on the same day — Section 6 provides for a written declaration from one parent that the other is not using this right for the same absence period.

Additional protections exist for specific categories of children. A child under 1 year old who is hospitalized entitles the parent to use sick days without the 8-day annual cap. A single parent — a parent raising the child without a co-parent sharing custody — is entitled to 16 days per year rather than 8. A parent whose child has a severe disability or chronic illness recognized under the Long-Term Care Insurance Law may also be entitled to extended child sick leave arrangements under Health Ministry extension orders. Foreign workers employed in Israel on valid work permits are entitled to these rights on equal terms with Israeli employees, since the Sick Pay Law applies to all employees working in Israel regardless of nationality. Employers who refuse to approve child sick leave or dock wages improperly can face claims in the Regional Labor Court within the 7-year limitation period for employment claims.

From the full guide: Maternity and Paternity Leave in Israel: Entitlements, Pay and Procedures

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