Psooner or later it happens to everyone: a flu, a stiff neck that doesn’t pass, an annoying migraine who doesn’t want to let go. You call your doctor, send a message to the office and think that the rest you need to do is get well as soon as possible. But he’s wrong: the rest to do, starting this year, is much more. In fact, around that day at home, a new network of rules was built, more precise and more stringent than before, which is worth knowing well. to avoid making mistakes that can make the disease even more annoying.
INPS disease: too many certificates, checks increase
To understand why the controls have intensified, the starting point are the numbers presented by the Observatory on the single hub for the protection of the disease: in the second half of 2025, in fact, over fourteen million medical certificates were transmitted2.8% more than the previous year. Home tax visits, in the same period, grew by 3.7%, almost reaching four hundred thousand. An expanding system, to which the legislator has responded with more tools, more uniformity and finally equal rules for everyone.
Tax visits: a unique time to find balance
Starting from tax visits, we must forget the old cross tables and the distinctions between municipal offices and private companies. The real news, which came into full swing this year, is the unification of the availability slots for tax visits. Now we are all in the same boat: whether you work in a large ministry or in a small boutique, the appointment with the possible visit to the INPS doctor is the same for everyone. There are two windows to keep in mind: from 10 to 12 in the morning and from 5 to 7 in the afternoon.. This applies to every day of the week, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Faced with an unexpected increase in absences for health reasons, the social security institution has decided to strengthen checks. (Getty Images)
The medical certificate and the new digital platform
Fortunately, nothing changes regarding the medical certificate. The real news of 2026, however, concerns the tools available to employers. INPS is developing an online platform integrated into the Pdnd, the national digital data platformwhich connects databases and public services. Through this channel, Companies will be able to request checks on absent employees more quickly than before. This technological improvement, however, combined with a greater number of doctors in charge, will ensure that tax visits are no longer a remote eventuality, but a much more frequent reality.
The right steps to avoid thoughts
Having said this, although technology is fast, the sick worker’s task remains the same as alwaysmade up of a few but fundamental steps. When health betrays, in fact, the first step is the treating doctor: he is the one who sends the electronic certificate to the office.
The protocol number must then be communicated to the employer within 48 hours. During sick hours, the obligation is to be found at the address indicated in the certificate. It is clear that life does not stop: if we need to go out for a specialist visit or for urgent treatment, we can do so, but it is essential to have the documentation proving this with us. There are also protection zones for those suffering from serious illnessesfor those who need life-saving therapies or for those with recognized disabilities.
Sanctions if the rules are not respected
If the worker is not available during the scheduled time slots, without documented justification, the consequences can be significant. In fact, they range from the reduction of sickness benefit to its complete lossin more serious cases or in case of relapse.
To these, then, disciplinary consequences may be addedwhich depend on the collective agreement applied and the employer’s assessment. These are not automatics, obviously: every situation is evaluated and good documentation will protect those who have valid reasons.
