Germany’s Sick-Note Overhaul Draws Fire as Employers and Health Experts Warn of Unintended Consequences
Published on 07/06/2026 at 14:58 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A plan by the German federal government to require employees to submit a doctor’s note from the first day of illness is facing mounting resistance, even as SPD leader Lars Klingbeil defended the measure in early July as a necessary step to clear reform bottlenecks. The proposal would replace the current rule that allows workers to self-certify for the first three days—a change the coalition says is justified by an average sick-leave rate of 19.5 days per year.
Klingbeil stressed the reform was pragmatic. A mandatory sick note from day one, he explained, does not mean someone must visit a doctor on the very first day. Companies and collective-bargaining partners can negotiate flexible alternatives. “Employees should not have to drag themselves to the surgery when they are ill,” the SPD chair said.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz pointed to the high absentee figure as the main driver. The coalition is responding to the economic cost of sickness-related disruptions. The package also eliminates the option of a phone-based sick note—a step many doctors and patient advocates oppose.
Criticism came swiftly. On Monday, a spokesperson for the CDU’s labour wing called the plan “completely unnecessary” and warned of significant unrest among staff. The federal government’s patient representative fears that sending more people to doctors’ surgeries will increase crowding and raise infection risks. Analysts at the DIW share that view, arguing that tougher attendance rules could actually prolong absences through greater transmission of illness. Bavaria’s health minister similarly warned on 4 July that the change would heap extra bureaucracy onto medical practices.
An alternative model gained attention on Monday when the head of the DAK health insurance fund proposed a partial sick-note system inspired by Scandinavian countries. He cautioned that scrapping the phone-based certificate could overwhelm medical infrastructure. Data from 2020 to 2023 show such certificates accounted for only 0.8 to 1.2 percent of all sick notes issued. The health ministry is now examining whether partial sick notes can be implemented.
Labour law specialists note that the new statutory rule does not automatically alter existing employment contracts. Thanks to the GĂĽnstigkeitsprinzip (favourability principle), any individual agreements that allow for a later submission of the sick note remain valid. Company-level arrangements between employers and staff will continue to be central.
The broader reform package also includes tax relief for families worth between 600 and 632 euros per year. A wealth tax would rise to 45 percent on incomes above 250,000 euros and to 47 percent above 280,000 euros. The 2027 budget draft envisages total spending of 555 billion euros, with new borrowing of roughly 203 billion euros.
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