Germany Mandates First-Day Doctor Notes to Curb Corporate Sick Leave

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday announced a sweeping overhaul of the country's labor policies, mandating that workers provide a medical certificate on their very first day of illness.

The move effectively abolishes the existing system that allowed employees to report sick by telephone.

Merz cited severe economic pressures, pointing to elevated rates of absenteeism across the corporate sector.

Economic Competitiveness

The chancellor described the current levels of sick leave as unacceptable for businesses operating in Germany.

“We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies,” Merz said.

Prolonged workforce absences have created a severe competitive disadvantage for the national economy.

Merz stated that the government can no longer afford the financial drain caused by these widespread staffing shortages.

“We are abolishing sick leave by telephone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness,” he said.

“We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.”

Workers claiming illness must now secure official documentation from a doctor immediately upon taking leave.