The requirement for a doctor’s note from the first day of illness is a wish of the Union. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) now questions the sense of this rule. “I am loyal to the coalition, but we should ask ourselves again whether this makes sense,” Bas told the Funke media group. She fears that people with minor ailments will unnecessarily go to the doctor, leading to longer sick notes.
Bas also criticised the numerous exceptions to the requirement. “If I introduce a requirement and then write 95 exceptions into it, the question arises whether we need it at all,” the minister said. She announced that she would not make a proposal for implementation until Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) presents further regulations on the guarantee of doctor’s appointments.
In the debate on abolishing the deduction-free pension, Bas advocates a transition period of about five years. This period is necessary to give people enough time to adjust their life planning.
Source: Tagesschau
