In brief
In a bid to curb Germany’s high rates of sick leave, the coalition government has introduced new rules that mandate a doctor’s certificate on the very first day an employee falls ill. The plan removes the ability to phone in a note, first practiced during the pandemic, and has drawn sharp criticism from healthcare associations worried about overburdened practices. Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the need to restore pre‑COVID workplace norms and tackle productivity losses. The Social Democratic and Christian Democratic parties faced pressure from labour ministers to examine the policy’s practical impact.
German workers will now need a doctor’s note on the first day of any illness. The coalition government’s new sick‑leave policy means employees must immediately prove they are too unwell to work, removing the option to call in a note by phone—a measure that was introduced during the pandemic.
\The number of sick days in Germany is too high, Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned, framing the reform as a necessary step to eliminate what he called a competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences. He added that the shift would return the country to its pre‑coronavirus arrangements.
\Under the current rules, a certificate is required only if a person is unfit for work for more than three days—effectively from day four—though employers can request it earlier. The new legislation tightens this by demanding proof on day one.
\Both the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (SPD) accepted the proposal, although it has drawn sharply negative reactions from medical associations. The statutory health insurance physicians’ association (KBV) called the change bordered on madness, pointing out that thousands of workers would have to visit doctors just to fill simple forms.
\The GP Association warned that mild infections requiring only one or two days of rest could overwhelm doctor’s waiting rooms if every symptomatic individual had to be seen. They urged the government to consider the practical impact on clinics.
\SPD officials are scrambling to find workable solutions. Vice‑Chancellor Lars Klingbeil said on RTL that the party would look for arrangements to ease the new rule. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas acknowledged the dispute and stated she would investigate whether the first‑day certificate requirement actually reduces absenteeism or merely creates obstacles.
\CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn defended the changes by noting that Germany’s sick‑leave rate is among the highest in the EU, citing about 18 days per employee per year. He added that genuinely ill workers should be allowed to stay home right away.
\The amendments are part of broader reforms targeting tax, labour and pension systems to boost the German economy.
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