No more sense of anonymity on medical release. The Social Insurance Institution in 2025 reaches for new, highly effective tools to verify people residing on L4. A silent revolution in control methods continuesand its main battlefield became social media. Your vacation photos, your home renovation accounts or even an innocent post about gathering your friends may become evidence of a case against you. ZUS is increasingly actively monitoring public profiles on Facebook, Instagram or TikToku, seeking evidence of misuse of the exemption. Consequences? It is not only a failure of entitlement to the sickness allowance for the full period of exemption, but besides the request to reimburse already paid out with interest. In utmost cases, the case may even end in disciplinary dismissal at the employer. Experts inform that many Poles do not realize how easy it is to get into problem by sharing their lives online during L4.
"Silent verification" – what is the fresh ZUS method?
The word "silent verification" perfectly reflects the character of the fresh activities of the Social Insurance Institution. It's not just the controller's home call. Now control can take place remotely, without your knowledge, at any time of day or night. ZUS inspectors, acting within the framework of their powers, shall analyse publicly available information posted online. Their goal is to see if the way you spend your time on L4 does not conflict with the nonsubjective of release, which is to recover.
What is the process in practice? Checkers are looking at your public profiles on social media, looking for activities that undermine the credibility of your illness. They analyse photos, videos, relationships, and even comments and markings by friends. If you are on release due to back problems, and your Instagram shows an account of work in the garden or wearing dense furniture, it is for ZUS direct evidence of abuse. The same applies to vacation trips, participation in mass events or taking additional paid work. ZUS treats specified activities as evidence that the exemption is misused.
What posts can sink you? circumstantial examples
Many insured people mistakenly presume that only apparent fraud, like black work, can bring control of the Social safety Office. However, reality is much more complex, and the list of activities that may be considered inappropriate is long. It is crucial to realize that any action that can hold recovery is simply a possible problem. The following are concrete examples of posts that may form the basis for receiving the allowance:
- Photos and accounts of trips: Publishing vacation photos, a weekend journey out of town or a abroad journey is simply a red flag for ZUS. Even if the exemption is of the kind ‘diseases can walk’, travel is frequently considered to be an activity that hinders treatment.
- Evidence of physical work: Praise in the net for the advancement of the renovation of the apartment, the garden work, the aid of moving friends or building a gazebo are almost certain problems.
- Sports activity: Posts from the gym, photos from the marathon, reports from the football match – any intense physical activity will be hard to reconcile with most medical layoffs.
- Taking up paid employment: Offering their services online, conducting online training, and even selling handicrafts on auction portals during L4 is strictly prohibited and provides the basis for the most serious consequences.
- Organisation Remember, the problem is not just your posts. If a friend marks you in a photograph from a large party, it will be the same proof for the Social safety Office as if you had published it yourself.
Legal basis and consequences. What's the threat of an abuse of L4?
ZUS's actions are not voluntary – they have a solid legal basis. The main instrument governing this issue is Law on social safety cash benefits in case of sickness and maternity. Article 17 of that Act makes it clear that the insured individual who is incapacitated during a period of incapacity for work or who uses dismissal in a way incompatible with the intent of that exemption loses his entitlement to sickness benefit for the full period of that exemption.
The financial and professional consequences can be very severe. First, ZUS will decide to loss of entitlement to sickness benefit. This means that you will not receive money for the full period for which the controlled release was issued. Second, if the allowance has already been paid, you will gotta repay in full with statutory interest. Thirdly, ZUS besides informs the employer about the results of the checks. For him it is simply a signal of disloyalty of the employee, which can consequence in failure of trust, reprimand, and in utmost cases even disciplinary dismissal pursuant to Article 52 of the Labour Code.
How do you defend yourself? applicable advice on release
In the era of digital control, the best strategy is prevention and common sense. It's not about surviving in fear, it's about knowingly managing your online presence during recovery. The most crucial regulation is simple: the intent of medical release is to recover And all activity you have should be subject to it.
To avoid unpleasantness, it is worth applying any simple rules. First of all, change privacy settings of your accounts on social media on ‘private’. Thanks to this, your posts will be visible only to approved friends, not to everyone, including to ZUS controllers. Second, keep abstinence in publishing. The safest thing is to keep your network activity to a minimum on time L4. Even the innocent photograph of the walk can be misinterpreted. besides inform your friends not to mark you in photos without your permission. Remember that in 2025 your digital rate is analysed much more accurately than always before. Focusing on doctor's instructions is the best protection against control and its painful consequences.
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Are you on L4? ZUS will scan your social media. You could lose your allowance!
