German Union Warns Against Ending Phone Sick Notes, Cites Risk to Sick Workers

Germany's DGB trade union federation is sounding the alarm over the government's plan to abolish the option of obtaining a sick note by phone and to require a doctor's certificate from the very first day of absence. Union officials argue these changes will not reduce sick days but will instead lead to more employees working while ill, a phenomenon known as "presenteeism."

Anja Piel, a member of the DGB executive board, told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers that this will "inevitably promote more presenteeism – that is, working despite illness – with all the negative consequences: less productivity and more chronic illnesses." She also criticized the planned abolition of telephone sick notes, stating that combined with the mandatory certificate from day one, it will "directly lead to the overburdening of all doctor's practices in the country."

The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) also expressed skepticism, with economist Daniel Graeber predicting no significant reduction in sick days. Graeber warned that a mandatory certificate from the first day could increase visits to doctor's offices, raising infection risks in waiting rooms. "If this leads to people going to work despite mild infections, infections at the workplace could ultimately lead to more sick days than if these employees had simply stayed home," he cautioned.

Graeber found no causal link between the high number of sick days in recent years and the availability of telephone sick notes since late 2023. Analyses based on data from the Barmer health insurance fund showed no increase in work incapacity cases due to phone or video consultations. The planned changes have also drawn sharp criticism from the medical community, with the Association of General Practitioners calling it "purely symbolic politics" by the government.