German Government Scraps Telephone Sick Notes as Worker-Sick-Days Hit 20-Year High
02.07.2026 - 10:38:07 | boerse-global.de
Doctors’ groups and health insurers are pushing back hard after the German coalition announced it will abolish telephone-based sick leave and require a doctor’s certificate from the very first day of illness. The changes are part of a larger growth-and-employment package unveiled today that also includes a major income-tax overhaul.
Under the current rules – introduced in late 2023 – employees could obtain a sick note for up to five days by phone without visiting a surgery. That option is now gone. From now on, any worker who stays home must present a medical certificate (AU, Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) effective day one. Until recently, most employers only demanded one after the fourth day off.
The coalition argues the clampdown is necessary to tackle a rising absence rate. Data from the DAK health insurance fund for 2025 shows the average employee was off sick for nearly 20 days per year – a figure that has alarmed policymakers. Union politicians had repeatedly questioned the telephone rule, calling it too easy to abuse. The new rules are also accompanied by stiffer penalties for anyone who submits a fraudulent certificate.
Doctors and insurers warn of backfire
The reversal has drawn sharp criticism. “This is pure cost-cutting disguised as health policy,” said a spokesperson for the German Association of General Practitioners, which had warned as early as early 2026 that scrapping the telephone option would overload surgeries. The DAK itself cautioned in early 2025 that the move risked fostering a “culture of distrust” toward employees. Market researchers and consumer advocates add that the telephone rule prevented millions of unnecessary consultations and kept medical infrastructure from being swamped.
Despite the outcry, the coalition insists on returning to mandatory in-person examinations, citing the need for better oversight.
Tax relief for families, higher rates for top earners
The sick-leave measures are part of a wider package that also reshapes Germany’s income tax. Starting 1 January 2027, the government plans annual relief totalling €10 billion, focused on low and middle incomes. A family with two children earning €60,000 a year would see their tax bill fall by more than €600 annually by 2028.
To fund the cuts, the coalition will raise the top income-tax rate. Earnings above €250,000 will be taxed at 45 percent; above €280,000 at 47 percent. Other parts of the deal include a ban on nationalising rental housing, an increase in the flat-rate tax on mini-jobs from 2 percent to 5 percent, and a commitment to implement the pension commission’s proposals before the end of this year.
