Using data from the 2010 European Working Conditions Survey, this study explores the determinants of health-related absences from work in European countries. The focus is on the impact of sick leave rules. Five parameters of the sickness benefit system are taken into account: the requirement or not to produce a doctor’s certificate on the first day of absence; the length of the qualifying period; the existence or not of a waiting period before receipt of benefits; the level of compensation; and the maximum duration of benefits. Employees’ absence behaviors are analyzed using multilevel logistic regressions. The results show that cross-country differences in the probability of absence are partly attributable to differences in sick leave legislation. The most significant factor is whether employers are required to continue paying full wages in case of illness. As expected, absences are significantly higher in countries where this rule applies.