Germany has banned employees from calling in sick without first obtaining a doctor's note on the same day they fall ill [1, 2].
The reform aims to address a perceived crisis in workforce productivity. By requiring immediate medical verification, the government intends to reduce the number of sick-leave days that contribute to the country's economic stagnation [2, 3].
Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the sweeping reforms this week. The measure targets a culture of absenteeism that the administration believes is hindering industrial output. "We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies," Merz said [2].
Under the new rules, the previous flexibility regarding when a worker must provide medical proof is removed. Workers must now secure a certificate from a physician the moment they are unable to work. Merz said that for workers who call in sick without seeing a doctor, "those days are over" [2, 3].
The policy follows growing frustration among German business leaders. Some executives have attributed the nation's economic struggles to a lack of discipline among younger employees. Business leaders have pointed to Gen Z workers, claiming they call in sick nearly 20 times a year [4].
The government maintains that the law is a necessary step to stabilize the economy. By tightening the requirements for sick leave, the administration hopes to ensure that only those with legitimate medical needs remain absent from their posts [2, 3].
“"We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies."”
This reform represents a significant shift in German labor relations, moving away from a high-trust model of employee sick leave toward a more rigorous, surveillance-based system. By targeting absenteeism—specifically citing Gen Z trends—the Merz administration is prioritizing immediate industrial productivity over worker flexibility to combat a stagnant GDP.
