The German federal government is planning to require medical certificates starting from the first day of illness as part of a new reform package [1, 2].
This policy shift aims to lower the average number of sick days and curb the abuse of medical leave to strengthen the national work culture [2, 4]. By increasing the hurdles for reporting illness, the coalition hopes to stabilize the labor market and reduce absenteeism across the country [4].
As part of these measures, the government intends to abolish the practice of issuing medical certificates over the phone [2, 4]. This change would require employees to visit a doctor in person to obtain the necessary documentation for their employer [2].
The proposal follows months of debate within the governing coalition regarding the broader reform package [1, 4]. While the government pushes for stricter rules, the plan has met with internal professional disagreement. Andreas Gassen, chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), said certificates should instead be required only starting from the fourth day of illness [3].
The conflict highlights a tension between the government's desire to reduce absenteeism and the medical community's concern over the administrative burden on clinics. If the first-day requirement is implemented, millions of workers nationwide will face immediate documentation requirements for any health-related absence [1, 2].
Currently, the government is weighing these different thresholds as it finalizes the legislative details of the reform [1].
“The German federal government is planning to require medical certificates starting from the first day of illness.”
This move signals a pivot toward stricter labor discipline in Germany. By removing the convenience of phone-based certificates and shortening the grace period for documentation, the government is prioritizing the reduction of 'blue-collar' absenteeism over patient convenience and physician workload. The disagreement with the KBV suggests potential friction in implementation, as doctors may resist the influx of short-term patients seeking single-day certificates.
