Germany is planning to tighten its sick-note rules, but researchers argue that this may not address the underlying issues of rising absenteeism. The country’s workers took an average of 22 days of sick leave in 2024, one of the highest levels internationally.

Underlying Issues

Researchers point to mental health strains and deteriorating working conditions in sectors such as healthcare and education as the root cause of the problem. Workers in these professions often face chronic understaffing, low pay, and high emotional demands, leading to poor mental health and increased absenteeism.

According to data from the association of company health insurers BKK, women in healthcare and social work took an average of 27 sick days in 2024, while teachers took 24 days. In contrast, workers in the finance and communication sectors took significantly fewer sick days, with 18 and 16 days respectively.

Government Proposal

The German government’s proposal to tighten sick-note rules includes scrapping telephone sick notes and requiring medical certificates from the first day of absence. However, critics argue that this approach may not be effective in addressing the underlying issues and may even exacerbate the problem.

Doctors’ associations have warned that the proposal would be “absolutely disastrous” for already overburdened medical practices, while the services union Verdi has criticized the move as exemplifying a “culture of mistrust” towards workers.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.