A controversial proposal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to scrap the right to obtain short-term sick leave via telephone has sparked fierce opposition from trade unions and medical professionals. The measure, aimed at reducing what Merz calls excessively high absenteeism, would require patients to visit a doctor in person to obtain a sick note for minor ailments like colds and flu.
Merz, who has criticised Germany's sick leave culture as a drag on the economy, cited an average of 14.5 sick days per worker per year as evidence of abuse. He specifically blamed the telephone option, introduced during the pandemic and made permanent in 2023, for making it too easy to take time off. Health minister Nina Warken pledged a review, stating that the low-threshold option could be abused.
Opposition has been swift. The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) accused Merz of treating employees as shirkers. Its leader, Yasmin Fahimi, described the move as highly indecent. The Social Democrats (SPD), junior coalition partners, labelled it harassment. Doctors' groups also pushed back, noting that telephone sick notes account for less than 1% of all such notes and are capped at five days for patients already known to the practice.
Markus Beier, chair of the Association of General Practitioners, said evaluations by health insurers confirmed no greater abuse from telephone-issued notes. Andreas Gassen of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians argued that no one can reliably assess fitness for work over the phone. Former health minister Karl Lauterbach, who introduced the policy, warned that scrapping it would unnecessarily fill waiting rooms.
International comparisons show Germany's sickness absence rate of 6.8% of weekly working hours is similar to Belgium (6.7%) and Sweden (6.6%). The Cologne-based IW institute estimated sick leave cost the economy €82bn in 2024, comparable to military spending. Germany offers full pay for 42 calendar days, among the most generous in Europe.
Merz, who has previously made remarks about work-life balance and the four-day week, faces a difficult battle. A record 71% of Germans view the proposal unfavourably according to a representative poll, as the debate over productivity and employee rights intensifies.
