If you used leave for your own serious illness under Law 106/2025, first keep the employer's records and exact absence dates. Job protection does not mean salary or automatic pension credits: pension coverage requires contributions under the applicable rules.
INPS announced instructions in Circular 108/2026 on 23 October. This guide distinguishes the protections and helps you prepare an INPS or patronato enquiry; costs, eligible periods and arrangements for your case must be established through the institution's process and decision.
Before you start
- Scope
- Public and private employees meeting Law 106/2025 conditions
- Condition stated by INPS
- Cancer, disabling or chronic conditions, including rare conditions, with disability of at least 74%
- Duration
- Up to 24 months, including separate periods
- Contributions
- The period does not automatically receive pension coverage
Section 1
Leave, job protection and pay are separate
Leave under Law 106/2025 protects the job for up to 24 months, including separate periods, but is unpaid and does not automatically generate pension contributions.
| Issue | Separate rule |
|---|---|
| Employment | Job retained during the statutory leave. |
| Pay | No entitlement to pay during this leave. |
| Other work | Not permitted during the leave. |
| Service and pension periods | Not counted automatically. |
| Contributions | Coverage through payments may be available; check with INPS. |
The leave follows exhaustion of other justified paid or unpaid absences available to the employee. More favourable collective-agreement or employment provisions remain protected. Check the route with your employer and adviser before taking leave.
Paid time off for appointments and treatment under Article 2 is a separate protection. Do not automatically apply its contribution rules to the 24-month leave.
- Law 106/2025 — Articles 1 and 2, Official Gazette (Italian PDF)Articles 1 and 2 read on printed page 1 (PDF page 5): leave, pay, contributions and separate paid time off. The whole Gazette is not reported as read. Paid time off, leave and family caregiving are distinct arrangements.
- INPS — pension coverage for serious illness leave (Italian)Announcement of 23 October read: employees, disability, duration, effects of leave and Circular 108 topics. The summary does not establish application fields, instalments, costs or individual deadlines.
Section 2
Identify the leave period first
Record the dates and legal basis; ordinary sickness absence and family caregiving leave are not automatically leave under Law 106/2025.
- Employer decision or communication identifying the leave and legal basis.
- Start and end dates, including separate periods, and employment details.
- Medical and disability documents already required for the protection, handled only through authorised channels.
- Contribution statements and communications helping check whether the period is covered.
This is an organising list, not a certified list of mandatory attachments. Ask INPS about eligible period start dates, required documents and the competent scheme, especially if employment ended or contributions were transferred.
- INPS — pension coverage for serious illness leave (Italian)Announcement of 23 October read: employees, disability, duration, effects of leave and Circular 108 topics. The summary does not establish application fields, instalments, costs or individual deadlines.
- Law 106/2025 — Articles 1 and 2, Official Gazette (Italian PDF)Articles 1 and 2 read on printed page 1 (PDF page 5): leave, pay, contributions and separate paid time off. The whole Gazette is not reported as read. Paid time off, leave and family caregiving are distinct arrangements.
Section 3
Prepare your INPS request
Before applying, confirm the type of coverage, eligible periods and correct channel. Employment leave and pension coverage are separate steps.
Confirm which leave you used
Reconstruct its legal basis and dates with your employer. A general sickness certificate does not identify this specific protection by itself.
Request applicable instructions
Open Circular 108/2026 from INPS's announcement. If the document or service is unavailable, ask INPS or a patronato about the channel, scheme, attachments and your deadlines.
Keep the outcome documents
After applying through the confirmed channel, retain the receipt, requests for information and decision. Check the amount, methods and deadlines before paying.
Section 4
Costs, payments and pension effects
Coverage requires contributions; it is not a free credit. Cost and consequences depend on your actual insurance record.
The law provides for buying coverage through contribution payments under voluntary-continuation rules. Dividing your salary by the months of leave does not establish the charge.
Ask which arrangements apply, how the amount is determined, which deadlines apply, whether instalments are available and the pension effect. Check tax treatment separately: this guide does not establish a rate, instalment count or applicable deduction.
For missing periods, incomplete employer records or unclear amounts, use your claim references to request checks before paying or submitting duplicates.
- Law 106/2025 — Articles 1 and 2, Official Gazette (Italian PDF)Articles 1 and 2 read on printed page 1 (PDF page 5): leave, pay, contributions and separate paid time off. The whole Gazette is not reported as read. Paid time off, leave and family caregiving are distinct arrangements.
- INPS — pension coverage for serious illness leave (Italian)Announcement of 23 October read: employees, disability, duration, effects of leave and Circular 108 topics. The summary does not establish application fields, instalments, costs or individual deadlines.
Section 5
Reusable checklist
Organise your records for the next step.
- I confirmed the absence falls under Law 106/2025.
- I reconstructed dates and collected employer records.
- I separated this leave from ordinary sickness and paid time off.
- I asked INPS about eligible periods, scheme and attachments.
- I asked about costs, deadlines and payment arrangements before committing.
- I will keep the receipt and decision in secure personal channels.
Section 6
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions.
Is the 24-month leave paid?
No. This protection retains the job but does not provide pay. It is separate from paid time off for appointments and treatment.
Are pension contributions credited free of charge?
No. The period is not automatically counted for pension purposes. Coverage is possible through contribution payments under the applicable rules.
Does this cover caring for an ill relative?
This page concerns employees' own illness under Law 106/2025. It does not replace family caregiving leave rules; check the correct protection with the employer and INPS.
Section 7
Related guides
Explore the step you need.
Section 8
Sources and limits
Articles 1–2 of the law and the INPS announcement were read. The Circular 108 page returned no full text: eligible period start dates, detailed online steps, cost calculations, instalments and tax treatment are not claimed as verified. These require institutional confirmation for your case.
- INPS — pension coverage for serious illness leave (Italian)Announcement of 23 October read: employees, disability, duration, effects of leave and Circular 108 topics. The summary does not establish application fields, instalments, costs or individual deadlines.
- Law 106/2025 — Articles 1 and 2, Official Gazette (Italian PDF)Articles 1 and 2 read on printed page 1 (PDF page 5): leave, pay, contributions and separate paid time off. The whole Gazette is not reported as read. Paid time off, leave and family caregiving are distinct arrangements.
- INPS Circular 108/2026 (reference, Italian)Reference to the document announced by INPS. Full text not retrieved: the page returned no document text. Period eligibility dates, calculations, instalments and tax treatment require verification with INPS.