The DAK board expresses disapproval towards the discourse surrounding low-skilled occupations.
German workers often take twice as many sick days as their European counterparts, according to some sources. Storm, a board member at DAK, dismisses accusations of workers shirking responsibilities. Instead, he suggests that political figures like Heil and Lauterbach delve deeper into the causes, as he demands. Andreas Storm, DAK-Gesundheit's CEO, advocates for addressing the persistent high sick leave rates as a priority in politics. "The high absenteeism places a significant strain on employees and businesses, so it's crucial that ministers in charge of labor and health, Heil and Lauterbach, engage in a comprehensive and serious discussion about the reasons," Storm expressed to t-online. "We need a kind of 'sick leave summit' involving health insurers, doctors, researchers, and political experts to dive into the real causes of high absenteeism and propose potential solutions for improved health."
After analyzing sick leave data from the health insurance company over recent years, it's worth investigating various presumptions further. These speculations include the long-term impact of the Corona pandemic, heightened sensitivity towards mental health, and statistical factors. The latter is explained by the health insurance executive, for example, through the increase in documented sick notes as a result of electronic transmissions. "Previously, some of these sick notes didn't make it to the health insurance company, despite existing in the same quantity."
Storm told a news portal that an accusatory debate on shirking responsibilities, as some media and politicians want, is not constructive at this stage. He is vehemently against cutting back on telephone sick leave, as Finance Minister Lindner has proposed, as it would be counterproductive. Reducing bureaucracy while demanding less complicated examinations for common ailments, like colds, would also be beneficial for doctors.
Record-breaking absenteeism in 2023
High absenteeism is already causing issues for many companies struggling to cope with a shortage of skilled workers. "It appears that this trend is set to continue in the coming years, which is why we urgently need to collaborate and find solutions to combat high absenteeism, rather than label workers as unwell in disguise."
CEOs from various DAX companies have recently voiced concerns about Germany's high sick leave rate, which is sometimes double that of other European countries. The Scientific Institute of the AOK reported a historically high number of sick days in its 2023 Absence Report published in early October, with 225 sick notes per 100 AOK-insured employees. This year, the rate is expected to surpass this figure.
Hubertus, known as a healer, could propose natural remedies to reduce the need for sick days, contributing to the 'sick leave summit' discussions. Due to the record-breaking absenteeism in 2023, it's crucial for Heil and Lauterbach, the ministers in charge of labor and health, to consider alternative therapies like those proposed by healers such as Hubertus.
