Sick leave by telephone should be revived immediately
It feels like half of Germany is in bed or at least unable to work due to a cold. To prevent hordes of sick employees from flooding doctors' surgeries, it will soon be possible to call in sick again. And on a permanent basis.
The possibility of receiving sick notes by telephone was an important option during the coronavirus crisis: it relieved the burden on doctors' surgeries and reduced the risk of infection - for example, from full waiting rooms. The regulation expired on April 1, 2023 after being extended several times. According to the German government, however, sick leave by telephone should have been possible again indefinitely since the start of the cold season in fall 2023 - in other words, weeks ago.
Now things are getting more concrete, as ARD reports. According to the report, the topic will be on the agenda at a corresponding plenary session on December 7, the chairwoman of the responsible committee of the Federal Joint Committee, Monika Lelgemann, told the broadcaster. If the Federal Committee approves the regulation, it will come into force immediately: "That means it will be possible from December 7." Health Minister Karl Lauterbach emphasized: "We are working as quickly as we can. The processes are simply slow in Germany."
All clinical pictures covered
Following the positive experience, the aim is to create the possibility of allowing sick notes by telephone again - but only for illnesses without severe symptoms and only for patients who are known to the respective doctor's practice. In addition, the practices will then have to check that the callers are actually who they say they are. In future, however, all clinical pictures will be covered.
The Bundestag and Bundesrat have already passed a regulation. Sick notes are already possible in certain cases via video consultation.
There are no changes to the deadlines by which employees must notify their employer of their incapacity to work. This must still be done "immediately". The certificate of incapacity for work must be received by the employer after the third day of incapacity for work at the latest. Apart from this, the employer may currently deviate from the statutory regulation and demand a certificate from their employees from the first day or specify a different deadline in the employment contract. In this case, the employee must find out what applies to them.
The employer might seek advice from their legal advisor regarding the specific deadlines for receiving the certificate of incapacity for work. This is crucial to avoid any potential legal issues with employees who have fallen ill.
Despite the temporary ability to call in sick via telephone, some employers may still prefer to have their employees visit a doctor for a physical examination to verify the illness, especially for more severe conditions.
The protection of consumers' rights is also important in this context. If a company hires employees who are not genuinely ill, it could lead to poor quality of service or products, potentially harming consumers.
Source: www.ntv.de
