Germany Sick Leave Rule | Germany Plans Tougher Sick Leave Rules

Germany's government has announced plans to tighten sick leave rules as part of a broader package of economic reforms. The measures were announced at a press conference on Thursday held by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Minister-President of Bavaria Markus Söder, Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Bärbel Bas and Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil. "We want to get Germany back on track. It is now clear that this is possible," Merz said. The tougher rules would no longer allow employees to call in sick to work for up to three days without seeing a doctor or call up the doctor and ask for a sick leave letter of one week without actually seeing the doctor. Instead, employers would be able to ask for a doctor’s certificate from the first day a person is on sick leave. Merz had repeatedly complained that the rate of sick leave is too high in Germany, harming productivity. The measures are part of a wider reform package aimed at boosting economic growth.