Often, paid sick leave is available to an employee without any waiting period, and it may be used during the interim before sickness and accident insurance payments begin. Under most sickness and accident insurance plans, the disability must exist for at least one week before an employee becomes eligible for benefits. This waiting period is intended to control plan costs and simplify plan administration.

The level of sickness and accident benefits for short-term disability may be expressed as a dollar amount or as a percentage of employee earnings. The level and duration of benefits may increase with service. Generally, benefits replace between one-half and two-thirds of a person’s predisability gross weekly income. It is often thought that a higher replacement rate would create a disincentive for employees to return to work.