The coalition leaders have agreed that employees must present a certificate of incapacity for work from the first day of illness. However, the exact modalities are still open and are to be clarified during the legislative process. Lars Klingbeil (SPD) emphasized on Thursday evening on ZDF’s “heute journal” that this was a basic agreement from the coalition committee. The next step is to find “good pragmatic solutions.”
Friedrich Merz (CDU) made clear that employees would not necessarily have to go to the doctor’s office on the first day. However, a certificate of incapacity for work is required from day one. Merz left open how a possible backdating by the doctor would work in practice. He pointed out that companies could make different arrangements with their employees – for example through collective agreements or works agreements.
Medical associations and trade unions had previously criticized the plans. They warned of overcrowded practices and additional bureaucratic burden. The discussion about the new regulation thus remains exciting for the time being.
Source: www.zeit.de
