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BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Germany is grappling with a surge in sick days, prompting renewed debate over the practice of telephone sick leave. Chancellor Friedrich merz has questioned the system’s efficacy, suggesting a discussion with coalition partner SPD is needed. The debate has ignited criticism from across the political spectrum, while the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) voiced agreement with the Chancellor’s concerns.
Speaking in Bad Rappenau, Merz highlighted that employees in Germany take an average of 14.5 sick days annually. “That’s almost three weeks in which peopel in Germany don’t work due to illness. Is that really right? Is that really necessary?” he asked.
Criticism of Telephone Sick Leave Intensifies
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A push to reassess remote sick notes is gaining momentum amid rising absenteeism rates.
Merz emphasized the need to incentivize workforce participation,citing telephone sick notes as an example. Introduced in 2021, the system is now under scrutiny by the Union, which is advocating for it’s abolition. “Correctly justified during the Corona period, still today?” the Chancellor questioned.
He added, “At the end of the day, we must all achieve greater economic performance in this Federal Republic of Germany than we are currently achieving.”
Andreas Gassen, head of the statutory health insurance association, echoed these concerns, arguing that telephone sick leave “naturally” invites abuse. He told the “tagesspiegel,” “Nobody can reliably judge over the phone whether someone is really unable to work or not.”
Concerns Over Working Conditions raised
Former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) countered these arguments in the “Tagesspiegel,” advocating for preventative medicine as a solution to high sickness rates.”We can achieve this through early detection, such as of high blood pressure, through an increase in tobacco taxes and other preventative measures – and not by stalking the sick,” he stated.
Janis Ehling, federal managing director of the left party, argued that focusing on overwork, staffing shortages, and detrimental working conditions is more productive than questioning employee work ethic.Green Party leader Franziska Brantner acknowledged the economic need for increased work hours but stressed the importance of supportive conditions, such as reliable childcare.
Electronic Reporting and Rising Absenteeism
Data from the Federal Statistical Office reveals that employees in Germany were absent for an average of 14.8 working days in 2024 – a 3.6-day increase compared to 2021. The office attributes this rise, in part, to the introduction of electronic sick notes in early 2022, which allows for more accurate reporting of illness.
A study by the health insurance company AOK, conducted at the beginning of 2025, supports this finding. Respiratory diseases are identified as a key driver of increased absences.however,the AOK study found “no signs of systematic abuse” regarding telephone sick leave,with three out of four employees surveyed finding the system useful or vrey useful,primarily for avoiding doctor’s office visits and potential exposure to other patients.
Coalition Agreement Addresses Sick Leave
Both Union and employer associations have long called for an end to telephone sick leave. Though, the coalition agreement between the Union and the SPD doesn’t propose abolition but rather modifications: “We will change telephone sick leave so that misuse is excluded in the future (for example, exclusion of online sick leave through private online platforms).”
