Where's the doctor's note? Germany tightens workplace rules, no more sick leaves over call or text

Do not call in sick without a doctor’s note. Germany’s workplace rules are changing and one of the first aspects to be touched is the generous sick day policy. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who has repeatedly bemoaned the country’s policy hailed the change as a way to strengthen the nation’s economy.“We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies,” said Merz to the reporters. “We are abolishing sick leave by phone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness,” he added.Along with more strict requirements for sick days, Germany also passed reforms that would gradually increase the retirement age from 65 to 67 and allow employers more flexibility to hire short-term workers.Previously, the country’s policy allowed for up to six weeks of paid leave for an illness. If the employee fell ill from a different sickness, the six-week paid leave would start again. This was in addition to the six weeks of vacation time that most employees get.Now, the employee-friendly parameters of German work policy have been reformed to give the nation a competitive advantage, which, according to Merz it was losing.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who has repeatedly bemoaned the country’s generous sick day policy

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Reportedly, German workers took advantage of the policy, with employees taking an average of 14.8 sick days a year, as per a survey from German tabloid Bild. This is about twice as much as what the average American worker receives in the private sector, according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics.But not all is well with the policy’s announcement. According to Markus Blumenthal-Beier, the head of the German Association of General Practitioners, the need for a doctor’s note could cause a “catastrophic” clog in the nation’s health system.The move is a part of Merz’s larger 34-point package to keep the German economy afloat, which has been going down since the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the war in Ukraine and Iran. He has also introduced sweeping labour, tax and pension reforms and measures to cut red tape, as the initiatives would boost growth, jobs and competitiveness while maintaining social welfare protections. “We are working to cut red tape. We are working to protect our welfare state, and we are working to ease the burden on employees and companies by lowering taxes,” he was quoted as saying.He said the government aimed to pass the main elements of the 34-point package through parliament by the end of the year, adding that the ruling coalition agreed on the economic reforms.