Overview
- Germany’s government, in reports Thursday first detailed by Bild, is considering cutting pay from the first sick day and giving bonuses to workers who log five or fewer sick days.
- Current rules grant up to six weeks of full pay for one illness and allow five self-certified days before a doctor’s note is required.
- German workers average 14.8 sick days a year, which the German Institute for the Economy estimates costs businesses about €82 billion.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz has rejected a four-day week and said Germany needs to work harder to sustain prosperity.
- Coverage also highlights burnout and mental-health strain as factors behind higher absences, raising questions about how deterrent policies might affect sick workers.