Analýza dopadu karenční doby na pracovní neschopnost v České republice v letech 2005-2019

The aim of the diploma thesis is to find out how and how much the waiting period affects the amount of incapacity for work. The waiting period was introduced in the Czech Republic in 2008 and was abolished in 2019. This has an advantages and disadvantages for both private and public finances, and from this point of view the topic is very current. The theoretical part of the thesis presents some of the most important theories dealing with the economics of health. Then, the health insurance system in the Czech Republic and the approach to the waiting period are described, including possible alternative solutions such as sick days. The practical part analyses statistical indicators on incapacity for work, in which the introduction of a waiting period in 2008 (effective from 1 January 2009) reduced the amount of incapacity for work and its length. On the contrary, the abolition of the waiting period from 1 July 2019 shows an immediate increase in absenteeism in the second half of 2019 and in the first half of 2020. Health statistics are also analysed, based on which the level of health cannot be determined comparison with other European countries. The waiting period is not examined as an isolated quantity and the comparison with selected, European states was also made in compensation of wages from the employer and in sickness benefits provided by a state institution. To complement the results and conclusions arising from the analysis and subsequent comparison, an econometric model was created. Using the Diff in diff method, an estimate of the impact of the introduction of the waiting period in 2008 was created (effective from 1 January 2009). This intervention meant a reduction in newly reported cases of incapacity for work (per 100 sickness insured) by an average of 25.9 cases. Other, control variables (e.g. age, alcohol consumption, emissions…) are also included in the model.