cross-posted from: https://feddit.online/c/euro@feddit.online/p/1817064/germany-tightens-sick-leave-rules-medical-doctor-note-required-from-day-one-telephone-s

Germany’s Chancellor Merz:

We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies.

We are abolishing sick leave by telephone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness.

We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.

  • fireweed@lemmy.worldEnglish
    10·
    2 days ago

    I’m confused by this. I’ve never worked at a business that required (or was even interested in) a doctor’s note when I was sick.

    Why would I go to the doctor if I have any of the most common causes of sick days, like cold, flu, stomach upset, etc? They’re not going to be able to do anything about it except take my temperature, confirm my described symptoms, and recommend fluids and rest. Meanwhile if I’m feeling too ill to go to work I’m going to feel too ill to go to the doctor, and being forced to go to the doctor instead of resting at home is only going to exacerbate the condition and potentially spread whatever I have to other patients at the doctor’s office and on public transit (or do you want me behind the wheel in my condition?). Do y’all really have so much excess medical capacity that having people take up doctor time just for them to confirm “yup, sick” isn’t a problem?

    What happens when a company is like “this is dumb, we’re not ‘requiring’ shit”? How is this even enforceable? Like, we all recognize this is overreach, but just from a practicality point of view how is any of this proposal feasible?

    • varyingExpertise@feddit.orgEnglish
      4·
      23 hours ago

      Do you continue to get paid when you’re sick? If no, the company is less likely to care about why they stop paying you until you show up again.

      • fireweed@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        20 hours ago

        Even for work where sick days are unpaid, many businesses (especially small ones) are going to suffer having a worker missing. After all, workers are supposed to generate more revenue than their salary costs, so the excess value is still being lost when someone calls out sick.

        • varyingExpertise@feddit.orgEnglish
          3·
          18 hours ago

          We have no “sick days”. You’re sick, you get paid. After six weeks in a row, health insurance takes over and you still get 70% of your usual wage.