There’s a saying that calling in sick shouldn’t be taken lightly.
In Germany, there’s a push to revise the country’s generous sick leave policies, which currently allow for nearly unlimited days off due to illness. This move aims to address the rising rates of absenteeism and invigorate an economy that’s been losing momentum.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is considering new legislation that would enable employers to reduce workers’ pay from the first day they report being sick, according to a report by Fortune.com.
This would mark a significant shift for Germany, a country renowned for its worker-friendly policies, where the four-day work week is increasingly common.
“A good work-life balance and a shorter work week won’t be sufficient to sustain our nation’s prosperity in the long run. That’s why we need to put in more effort,” Merz stated in a speech addressing the absenteeism issue earlier this year.
The initiative follows a study that found German employees take an average of 14.8 sick days annually—more than once every month, and four times the average in the United Kingdom.
The bill aims to beef up economic growth in the labor-and-employee-friendly nation, which faces lagging growth. It would also reward employees who take less than five sick days a year with bonus pay.
Germany’s generous current policy allows workers to take up to six weeks of paid leave for an illness. If the employee falls ill from a different sickness, the six-week paid leave starts again.
The government now wants to nudge workers with minor ailments such as a cold back into the office, according to according to German tabloid Bild, which broke the story.
“It’s certain that Germany has the highest number of sick days in Europe. Both coalition partners would like to reduce that,” a government insider told the paper.
Standard workweeks in Germany are five days, but dozens of companies have recently participated in trials offering 4 days-weeks at full pay.
Earlier this month, a report from the nonprofit advocacy group 4 Day Week Global found that employees can accomplish as much in a 33-hour workweek as in a 38-hour workweek.
Experts claim the 5-hour gap is filled with procrastination, not productivity.
