WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Do countries guarantee self-employed workers access to paid sick leave?

Globally, nearly half of all workers are self-employed, and include among their ranks some of the most vulnerable workers—such as street venders. This map captures guarantees (and denials) to “self-employed,” “own-account,” and “independent workers,” regardless of their sector.

National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed workers means that social security benefits explicitly exclude self-employed workers or national benefits are only available through employers.

Self-employed workers guaranteed national paid sick leave means that social security legislation explicitly outlines coverage for self-employed workers either as part of the main social security sickness benefit or a separate program. This includes both mandatory and voluntary coverage.

Not specified in law means that social security legislation does not explicitly address whether self-employed workers are covered or not. This does not mean that legislation denies coverage to self-employed workers.

Countries

Republic of Korea - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

Marshall Islands - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

Micronesia, Federated States of - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

Nauru - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

Palau - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

Somalia - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

Sri Lanka - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

Tonga - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

United States of America - No national paid sick leave guaranteed for any workers

Afghanistan - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Algeria - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Angola - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Argentina - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Australia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Bahrain - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Bangladesh - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Benin - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Bhutan - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Botswana - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Brunei - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Burkina Faso - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Cambodia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Cameroon - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Central African Republic - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Chad - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

China - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Comoros - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Democratic Republic of the Congo - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Republic of the Congo - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Djibouti - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Eritrea - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Ethiopia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Fiji - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Gabon - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

The Gambia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Georgia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Ghana - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Greenland - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Guatemala - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Guinea - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Honduras - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

India - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Indonesia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Iraq - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Ireland - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Israel - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Jamaica - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Jordan - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Kazakhstan - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Kenya - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Kiribati - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Kuwait - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Kyrgyzstan - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Lesotho - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Liberia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Madagascar - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Malawi - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Malaysia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Maldives - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Mali - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Mauritania - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Mauritius - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Mexico - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Monaco - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Morocco - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Nepal - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Niger - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Nigeria - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Oman - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Pakistan - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Papua New Guinea - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Peru - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Qatar - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Rwanda - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Samoa - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Saudi Arabia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Senegal - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Sierra Leone - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Singapore - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Solomon Islands - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

South Africa - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

South Sudan - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Sudan - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Suriname - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Eswatini - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Switzerland - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Syria - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Tanzania - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Timor-Leste - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Togo - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Trinidad and Tobago - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Tuvalu - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Uganda - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

United Arab Emirates - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Vanuatu - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Vietnam - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Yemen - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Zambia - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Zimbabwe - National paid sick leave, but not for self-employed

Albania - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Andorra - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Antigua and Barbuda - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Armenia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Austria - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Azerbaijan - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Bahamas - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Barbados - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Belarus - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Belgium - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Belize - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Bolivia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Brazil - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Bulgaria - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Burundi - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Canada - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Cabo Verde - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Chile - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Colombia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Costa Rica - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Cote d'Ivoire - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Croatia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Cyprus - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Czech Republic - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Denmark - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Dominica - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Dominican Republic - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Ecuador - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Egypt - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

El Salvador - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Equatorial Guinea - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Estonia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Finland - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

France - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Germany - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Greece - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Grenada - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Guinea-Bissau - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Guyana - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Haiti - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Hungary - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Iceland - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Iran - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Italy - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Laos - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Latvia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Lebanon - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Libya - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Liechtenstein - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Lithuania - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Luxembourg - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

North Macedonia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Malta - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Moldova - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Mongolia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Montenegro - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Mozambique - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Myanmar - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Namibia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

The Netherlands - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

New Zealand - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Nicaragua - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Norway - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Panama - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Paraguay - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

The Philippines - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Poland - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Portugal - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Romania - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Russian Federation - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

San Marino - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Sao Tome and Principe - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Serbia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Seychelles - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Slovakia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Slovenia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Spain - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

St. Kitts and Nevis - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

St. Lucia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Sweden - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Tajikistan - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Thailand - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Tunisia - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Türkiye - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Ukraine - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

United Kingdom - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Uruguay - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave

Venezuela - Self-employed guaranteed national paid sick leave