“If things really get that difficult, the government must act now”
“Politicians must act, otherwise they will put up with serious allegations in the fall,” says Dr. Gerald Gass, Chairman of the Board of the German Hospital Society. The economic situation of the hospitals is currently very difficult and Health Minister Lauterbach is doing nothing about it.
If employees are sick at work, this also has consequences for the economy. According to an analysis, this had a much harder impact in the first few months of this year – not just because of Corona: the main reasons for the increase are many respiratory diseases.
KAccording to an evaluation by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit, there was a sharp increase in sick leave on the job in the first half of the year. From January to the end of June, there were 788 days of absence per 100 employees, 115 days more than in the first six months of last year, according to an analysis by the health insurance fund based on its own insured data. The main reasons for the increase are many respiratory diseases, but corona absences from employees also increased accordingly.
According to the evaluation, the number of days absent due to cough, runny nose or flu has risen to 133 days per 100 insured persons – after 48 days in the first half of 2021. Respiratory diseases were the second most common reason for absenteeism after back problems and other musculoskeletal problems Inability to work with a share of 16.9 percent. Losses due to Corona also increased to 64 days of absence per 100 insured persons – after twelve days of absence related to Corona in the first half of 2021.
“Parallel to the gradual easing of the corona restrictions in March 2022, a pronounced cold and flu epidemic developed,” explained the DAK. It was accompanied by a highly contagious Omicron variant, which caused more work stoppages in German companies than any variant before it. According to the information, data from 2.3 million employees insured with the health insurance fund were evaluated for the analysis.
“Sick leave by phone must become a permanent solution and not always up for debate,” said CEO Andreas Storm. A legal basis for this should be created immediately after the summer break. At the same time, Storm welcomed the fact that the joint federal committee of doctors, clinics and health insurers wants to deal with reintroducing sick leave by telephone in the current corona wave at the beginning of August. After the expiry of a special regulation, patients have had to go back to the practice since June 1st.
According to the evaluation, the sick leave among employees with DAK insurance rose to 4.4 percent in the first half of the year: 44 out of 1000 employees were on sick leave every day of the half year – after 37 in the first half of 2021. According to occupational groups, there was a lack of employees in non-medical health professions as the elderly care now most commonly with sick leave at work. Among them, sick leave was 5.7 percent.