cross-posted from: https://feddit.online/c/euro@feddit.online/p/1817064/germany-tightens-sick-leave-rules-medical-doctor-note-required-from-day-one-telephone-s
Germany’s Chancellor Merz:
We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies.
We are abolishing sick leave by telephone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness.
We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.
The disadvantage:
Neo-liberalism: as long as you’re not aligned with the lowest pay, the longest working hours, the least time off, the least benefits, you’re suffering from “competitive diadvantage”, and you need to “fix it”.
But… but… you are looking at the wrong countries!!1!11 You are looking at (more or less) reasonable european countries, when you should be comparing with the countries Merz would like to compete with: USA, China, Japan, etc…
[/ironie]
Is this days taken or days available to take?
It is days taken, always. There is no illness days limit per year as is common in the USA. In Europe, if you’re ill, you’re ill, for as many days as you are ill.
Though at some point you’ll get put on some plan of the government and stop being a “burden” to the employer. At least, that’s in my country - I don’t think that this is necessarily aligned across the EU, let alone Europe.
Same here (Switzerland), via a compulsory (for the employer) insurance.
It’s about sick leave, so there’s no limit on “available” days. If you’re sick, you’re out.
In short: days taken.
Thanks for the numbers, where do they come from btw?