(de-news.net) – Germany’s planned overhaul of sick leave certification has exposed divisions between coalition leaders and medical organizations, with supporters arguing it will reduce abuse while critics warn of greater bureaucracy and pressure on healthcare providers.
The coalition’s proposal to abolish telephone-issued sick leave certificates was defended by German Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), who argued that although employees should never be expected to report to work when illness prevented them from doing so, the pandemic-era policy had substantially lowered the threshold for obtaining medical leave. In her assessment, the measure had served an important purpose during the exceptional circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but those conditions no longer justified its continued use. Consequently, she maintained that abolishing the provision was appropriate. At the same time, Warken emphasized that the coalition remained committed to expanding digital healthcare by preserving alternatives such as video consultations with primary care physicians. Under the coalition agreement, new legislation would be introduced to curb potential abuse while simultaneously strengthening the role of digital access as an entry point into the healthcare system.
Merz backs return to original sick leave rules, Klingbeil stresses safeguards
Expressing a similar position, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) said the reform was intended to reduce Germany’s comparatively high level of sick leave by restoring the regulatory framework that had existed before the pandemic. He argued that the country was merely returning to long-standing rules that had previously functioned without producing the negative outcomes now being predicted. Referring to pre-pandemic experience, he rejected concerns that abolishing telephone certification would result in longer periods of medically certified absence. Merz also stressed that employers would continue to retain the flexibility to negotiate alternative arrangements where appropriate.
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) characterized the agreement as the product of a political compromise and emphasized that its practical implementation would ultimately depend on the details of forthcoming legislation. He underscored that the SPD had successfully opposed proposals to introduce unpaid waiting days at the beginning of sick leave, presenting that outcome as a key achievement during coalition negotiations. At the same time, Klingbeil maintained that employees who were genuinely ill should not automatically be required to visit a physician in every case, indicating that the final legislative framework would be decisive in determining how the new rules would operate in practice.
Medical groups warn of bureaucratic burden
The proposal nevertheless drew significant criticism from medical organizations. Andreas Gassen, chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, argued that requiring medical certificates from the first day of illness would increase bureaucratic obligations while placing additional strain on medical practices that were already operating under considerable pressure. In his view, the reform ran directly counter to earlier commitments to reduce administrative burdens on physicians. Rather than tightening certification requirements, he contended that the obligation to obtain sick leave certificates during the first three days of illness should instead be abolished. The General Practitioners’ Association voiced similar concerns, warning that the resulting administrative workload would be unmanageable and arguing that individuals who were genuinely ill should recover at home instead of being compelled to visit already overcrowded medical practices solely to obtain documentation.
Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD), while noting that the proposal had not originated with her ministry, announced that the consequences of requiring medical certification from the first day of illness would be carefully examined during the legislative process. She stated that lawmakers would assess not only whether the measure achieved its intended objective but also whether it created unintended practical difficulties before determining whether exemptions should be incorporated into the final legislation. Bas further observed that employers already possess the authority, in individual cases, to require medical certificates from the first day of illness under existing rules. She also pointed out that, according to Chancellor Merz, employers and collective bargaining parties would continue to have the option of agreeing to exceptions under the revised framework.
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