The significant increase in expenditures associated with ailing employees has become prominent.
High absenteeism due to sickness among workers in Germany has led to skyrocketing expenses for employers, reaching an all-time high of approximately 77 billion euros in 2022, as per the Institute for the German Economy (IW)'s estimation. This escalation has more than doubled from its 2010 levels, despite not being adjusted for inflation.
The study employed data from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Germany's statutory health insurers. According to this data, employees reported an increase in the average number of calendar days they were absent due to sickness, rising from 13.2 days in 2010 to 22.6 days in 2022. There seems to be barely any decrease in sick leave rate in 2023, based on a sample analysis.
Multiple factors contributing to the rise
Several factors appear to be driving this surge in sick leave, according to the IW study. Older workforces often experience more frequent age-related diseases, while mental illnesses continue to rise as a proportion of total work incapacity days, resulting in long periods of absence with an average of 40.4 calendar days. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sick leave development remains unclear.
Preventing telephone sick leave abuse
The study's author, Jochen Pimpertz, suggested restricting the possibility of telephone sick leave to curb potential misuse. Only a general practitioner or a physician practicing in Germany should be authorized to issue a telephone sick leave. In cases of respiratory illness during foreign holidays, employees should consult a local physician.
If employees present a medical certificate within three days, their employer will continue paying their salary for up to six weeks. A physician can also issue a certificate following a telephone consultation in case of respiratory illnesses. However, if recovery takes longer than six weeks, the health insurance company will provide a sickness benefit of 70% of the regular gross salary, capped at 72 weeks.
The 2022 estimated expenses for employers due to sickness, including social security contributions, were 64.8 billion euros gross, amounting to a total of 76.7 billion euros.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner advocates the elimination of telephone sick leave, stating that "in the future, one must visit the doctor to report sick, not just by phone." He emphasizes that he does not intend to implicate anyone in misusing the regulation, but notes a correlation between Germany's annual sick leave rate and the introduction of this simplification measure.
The Association of General Practitioners criticizes Lindner's remarks, stating that "we cannot understand his statements," commented its chairman, Markus Beier, to the German Press Agency. The introduction of this regulation was "medically and healthcare-politically absolutely correct and sensible," Beier asserted, dismissing allegations of system abuse as unfounded in daily practice. He cautions against undermining a regulation that "relieves our practices and our patients," particularly during peak infection months, and is one of the few recent bureaucracy-reducing measures. Records show that the increase in sick notes can be largely attributed to the electronic transmission of incapacity for work certificates, which now captures sick notes that insurance companies would have previously overlooked.
The primary reason for the escalating expenses is the increasing frequency of absences due to disease among German workers, totaling 77 billion euros in 2022. This trend has seen a significant rise from 13.2 to 22.6 days of average sickness absence per employee between 2010 and 2022.
Older workforces are more susceptible to age-related diseases, and mental illnesses are becoming a rising proportion of total work incapacity days, leading to extended periods of absence.
