The black-red coalition wants to tighten the rules for sick leave: anyone who is ill will have to present a medical certificate from the first day of absence. The telephone sick note, introduced during the pandemic, is to be abolished. The package is intended to reduce the high rate of sick leave in Germany. But the plans are met with widespread criticism – not only from doctors but also from the opposition.
A signal of mistrust
The planned certificate requirement would hit young parents with small children particularly hard. The result is that people with a cold drag themselves to the doctor instead of recovering – and may pick up a more serious infection in the waiting room.
Doctors warn of practice collapse
What would really help
Lang calls for a change of course: instead of punishing the sick, the government must invest in health protection at the workplace, make access to psychotherapeutic help easier, and reduce stress. The debate shows how politics can win back people’s trust:
Source: www.sueddeutsche.de
