Full Breakdown
Germany Tightens Sick-Leave Rules: Doctor’s Note Required from Day One
7/4/2026, 8:19:01 AM
Reform Overview
On 2 July 2026 Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that, from January 2027, employees must present a medical certificate on the first day of any illness. The reform abolishes telephone-issued sick notes and ends the practice of allowing up to three days of leave without a doctor’s visit. The measure is part of a 34-point package that also lowers income taxes for lower earners, raises the top tax rate, and raises the statutory retirement age to 67.
Policy Background
Germany’s current system obliges workers to obtain a doctor’s note only after three calendar days of absence; employers may request it earlier. Paid sick leave is compensated at 100 % of salary for up to six weeks, after which statutory health insurance pays about 70 % for up to 78 weeks. Telephone certificates were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce in-person visits. The coalition government of the CDU/CSU and SPD framed the change as necessary to curb “exorbitant” absenteeism that they say hampers productivity amid rising energy costs, competition from China, and geopolitical pressures.
Statistical Context
Reported averages of annual sick days vary widely: a Bild survey cited 14.8 days, CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn quoted ? 18 days, the IGES Institute calculated 19.5 working days, and DW noted “nearly 20 days.” The OECD ranks Germany seventh in Europe, with an average of 3.6 weeks (? 18 days) per employee. IGES also attributed part of the rise to the electronic sick-note system (eAU) that captures short absences previously unrecorded.
Official Statements & Government Rationale
Merz told reporters that “we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by long absences from work.” SPD leader Lars Klingbeil called for “workable solutions” and Labour Minister Bärbel Bas said she would examine whether the rule “has any effect at all.” CDU parliamentary group head Jens Spahn reinforced the government’s view, noting Germany’s sick-leave rate is among the highest in the EU and stressing that genuinely ill workers must stay home.
Criticism & Opposition
The KBV, the national association of statutory-health-insurance physicians, described the proposal as “bordering on madness,” warning that thousands of minor-illness visits would overload practices. Markus Blumenthal-Beier, head of the German Association of General Practitioners, called the plan “absolutely catastrophic.” Verdi union chief Frank Werneke warned of a “culture of distrust of employees.” Critics argue the reform could increase bureaucracy, discourage legitimate sick leave, and provoke “presenteeism” where workers attend work ill.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the baseline number of sick days, ranging from 14.8 to ? 20 days per year, and on the extent to which telephone certificates have altered overall absenteeism. No empirical study yet measures the reform’s impact on productivity, health-system capacity, or employee well-being. Legislative approval still requires majority support in both the Bundestag and Bundesrat, and the final text may modify the proposed provisions.
Verbatim Quotes
- “In a speech, Merz flagged “exorbitant levels of sick leave in companies following the pandemic” and said: “We are abolishing sick leave certificates over the phone and introducing the requirement to submit a certificate of incapacity for work from the first day of illness.” — Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany
- “Anyone who is coughing or has a gastrointestinal infection belongs in bed – not in an overcrowded surgery,” — KBV, statement on the reform
- “We have one of the highest numbers of sick days – around 18 per year per employee," he said.” — Jens Spahn, CDU parliamentary group leader
- “We are creating a set of tools that will enable those involved, both employees and companies, to correct this,” — Friedrich Merz, press conference
Outlook
Labour Minister Bärbel Bas has pledged to investigate the rule’s practical effects, while the coalition must secure parliamentary majorities before the measure becomes law. Stakeholders anticipate further debate over the balance between economic competitiveness and workers’ health protections.
