There is no comprehensive legal definition of illness. Some symptoms of burnout – especially depression or eating disorders – clearly fit the concept of illness used in the Austrian Labour Law; in these cases, those affected by these symptoms continue to receive their salary or their wages. However, the 2018 amendments in labour law – essentially a positive de-velopement – led to a reduction in the duration of renumeration for employ-ees suffering from mental illness.
Nora Melzer-Azodanloo from the Institute of Labour Law and Social Security Law addresses the question of how legal means can be used to protect the livelihoods of those who cannot work. She examines the legal safety net of wages that continue to be paid by employers as well as the social security system and the new social welfare programme. Her current main re-search areas also include health protection, minimum wage policy, equal treatment.
"Who pays when I am ill?" - Sedcard