Occupational injury and occupational disease

Guide to a workplace accident and occupational disease

1. 1

   Find out whether you are entitled to accident insurance benefits

   Accident insurance is compulsory insurance paid by the employer. It covers cases of damage to health or death resulting from an occupational injury or occupational disease.

   Who is entitled?

   You are entitled to accident insurance benefits if:

   • you are an employee and have suffered an occupational injury,
   • you have been diagnosed with an occupational disease.

    

   Other persons are also entitled

   You may also receive accident insurance benefits in the following cases:

   • a pupil or student—during work experience or practical training,
   • a soldier (voluntary military training or active reserve)—during training or while performing duties,
   • a member of a voluntary organisation (for example, a fire brigade or mine rescue service)—while performing activities,
   • a person assisting during an emergency (for example, an accident or natural disaster),
   • a volunteer healthcare worker—while providing medical services at an event,
   • a member of the mountain rescue service or a person assisting in a rescue operation.

    

   Survivors are also entitled

   Accident insurance benefits may also be claimed by:

   • a spouse,
   • a dependent child,
   • a person whom the deceased had a legal obligation to support,

   if the person died as a result of an occupational injury or occupational disease.

2. 2

   Apply for accident insurance benefits

   The Social Insurance Agency may grant you the following accident insurance benefits:

   • accident supplement,
   • accident annuity,
   • lump-sum settlement,
   • survivor’s accident annuity,
   • lump-sum compensation,
   • occupational rehabilitation and rehabilitation benefit,
   • retraining and retraining benefit,
   • compensation for pain and reduced social participation,
   • reimbursement of treatment-related expenses,
   • reimbursement of funeral-related expenses.

   How to apply

   From 1 August 2026, you can also apply electronically for accident insurance benefits, except for the accident supplement. The Social Insurance Agency is introducing a single electronic form pre-filled with available information. You only need to add a minimum of information, and the Agency processes the application automatically.

   If you have suffered an occupational injury or have been diagnosed with an occupational disease, you may apply:

   • in person or by post using a paper form,
   • electronically using the Application for an Accident Insurance Benefit Other Than the Accident Supplement.

   The electronic application has been significantly simplified since 1 August 2026. The form is pre-filled with information obtained automatically by the Social Insurance Agency, for example from the employer or electronic temporary incapacity record. After submitting the application, the Agency will inform you about the status of the proceedings.

   Applications and the necessary information are available at every Social Insurance Agency branch, on its website, or here: Occupational Injury / Occupational Disease.

    

   Exception—the accident supplement

   If your doctor issues an electronic temporary incapacity record because of an occupational injury or occupational disease:

   • you do not need to submit a separate application for the accident supplement,
   • the electronic temporary incapacity record is treated as the application,
   • the Social Insurance Agency assesses it automatically.

   From 1 August 2026, the Social Insurance Agency processes the accident supplement automatically. You have no notification obligations towards the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family—the data is exchanged electronically.

    

   What happens after submitting the application?

   • The Social Insurance Agency assesses your entitlement,
   • if you meet the conditions, it grants and pays the benefit.

    

   Important information

   The right to payment of the benefit becomes time-barred three years after the date for which the benefit was due.

   Good to know
   More information about the electronic application is available here: Submitting an Application for an Accident Insurance Benefit Other Than the Accident Supplement.

    

3. 3

   Have an occupational disease recognised

   An occupational disease is recognised if:

   • it arose in connection with your work,
   • it is included in the list of occupational diseases.

   Liability for the damage rests with the employer for whom you most recently worked under the conditions that caused the disease.

    

   How to proceed

   Visit a doctor

   If the doctor suspects that the condition is work-related:

   • they will refer you for a specialist examination.

   Examination at a specialised centre

   Occupational diseases are assessed only by specialised centres, for example occupational medicine departments.

   In Slovakia, these are located in:

   • Bratislava,Opens in a new window
   • Martin,Opens in a new window
   • KošiceOpens in a new window
   • Banská Bystrica.Opens in a new window

   You will be examined at the centre closest to your employer.

   Assessment result

   The specialised centre issues a medical opinion:

   • recognising the occupational disease, or
   • not recognising the occupational disease.

    

   Who receives the medical opinion?

   The medical opinion recognising the occupational disease is sent to:

   • you,
   • the employer,
   • the competent public health authority,
   • the Social Insurance Agency (and, depending on the circumstances, other competent institutions: the Social Insurance Agency, the Social Security Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, the Military Social Security Office, the Social Security Department of the Prison and Court Guard Service, or the Social Security Department of the Financial Directorate of the Slovak Republic).

    

   The medical opinion not recognising the occupational disease is sent to:

   • you,
   • the employer,
   • the competent public health authority.
4. 4

   Check the employer’s obligations

   When an occupational disease is recognised

   If your occupational disease is recognised, your employer must:

   • transfer you to other work appropriate to your state of health.
      

   If there is no suitable position for you or you do not agree to the transfer:

   • the employer may give you notice or agree with you to terminate the employment relationship,
   • the employer must pay you severance compensation.

   The severance compensation is at least ten times your average monthly earnings.

   Exception

   If you caused the occupational injury through your own fault, for example by breaching occupational health and safety regulations, you are not entitled to severance compensation in this amount.

   In the event of an occupational injury

   The employer must:

   • report the occupational injury to the Social Insurance Agency,
   • submit the occupational injury report for registration.

   From 1 August 2026, the employer may also report an occupational injury electronically through the “Notification of an Insured Event” service. The electronic notification allows the required attachments to be included, and the Social Insurance Agency processes the data automatically.

   Important information

   If the employer fails to fulfil these obligations, you cannot be granted accident insurance benefits.

   From 1 August 2026, both the injured person and the employer can see the reporting status of the occupational injury in their Insured Person’s Electronic Account or on the Social Insurance Agency portal.

   From 1 August 2026, the Social Insurance Agency will inform you about the status of the accident benefit proceedings (commencement, processing and completion). You will receive the information in your electronic mailbox or Insured Person’s Electronic Account.