German coalition’s plan to tighten sick‑note rules could backfire and raise absenteeism, warns DIW
Executive summary: The German federal coalition announced measures to raise the threshold for issuing job‑related sick notes, aiming to reduce the number of sick days taken by workers. The DIW warned that the change could lead to higher absenteeism, and the German General Practitioners Association labelled the measures as mere symbolism, advocating for the retention of telephone‑based sick‑note issuance. The reform touches on labor productivity, firm costs, and the broader German labor market; any unintended rise in sick days would affect wages, output, and employer‑employee relations. German federal coalition government,DIW (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung),Hausärzteverband (German General Practitioners Association) Parliamentary committees will debate the proposal, potential pilot schemes for telephone sick notes may be tested, and the coalition could adjust its plan based on feedback from economists and doctors' associations.
The coalition wants to make it harder for doctors to issue sick leaves in order to cut down on sick days across Germany. The DIW cautions that stricter hurdles may actually increase absenteeism, while the Hausärzteverband dismisses the proposal as symbolic and urges keeping telephone‑based sick notes. Together these views highlight the uncertainty around labor‑market impacts of the forthcoming reform.
Connected developments
- »Wildwuchs« bei Videosprechstunden stoppen – dafür Telefon‑Krankschreibung beibehalten
Open the full case file on Beyond →
INTELLIGENCE
Social Pulse
AI estimate · not scraped