Fever, headache, bronchitis, nausea – if you’re ill, you can’t work. Employees must adhere to a few rules to ensure that illness does not cause problems at work.
Call in sick:
You should call in sick as soon as possible, preferably before starting work. According to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), there is no legal requirement as to how you should call in sick. It is only important that the information reaches the company quickly. So it’s best to call or send an email to the HR office or your line manager. You don’t have to say what illness you are suffering from, but you should let them know how long you expect to be absent. In many cases, employees can also take up to five days off sick by telephone. However, the decision is made by the doctor. The patient must be known to the doctor’s surgery. It is not possible to extend sick leave by telephone, writes the German government.
Medical certificate:
The point at which a doctor’s certificate must be presented varies. According to the law, it is the fourth day. However, there are also companies that require a medical certificate from the first day. It is therefore very important to ask for.
Continued payment of wages:
Even employees who are ill receive money. The law stipulates that the employer must continue to pay wages or salary for six weeks. The only exception is for the first four weeks in which you work in a new job. Then the health insurance fund immediately steps in with sick pay. The health insurance fund also pays sickness benefit if employees are ill for longer than six weeks. For a maximum of 78 weeks in three years, the statutory health insurance usually covers 70 percent of the gross salary. The rules differ slightly for accidents at work. Part-time and marginal employees also continue to receive their salary if they are ill. However, marginally employed persons are not entitled to sick pay.
Vacation:
Sick is sick, so according to the DGB, the employer cannot simply cut vacation. Anyone who falls ill while on vacation is even entitled to make up the vacation days. However, a sick note is also required for this.
Behavior:
If you are unfit for work, you do not have to lie in bed the whole time. They are just not allowed to do anything that could harm the healing process, according to the IG Metall industrial union, for example. This includes, for example, parties with lots of alcohol, a soccer match on the sports field and roofing work on your own house. However, going for a walk is permitted. IG Metall advises you to talk to your doctor if you are unsure about what you can and cannot do during your illness. If you do something that prolongs the illness, you risk being dismissed in the worst case.
DGB | Rights and obligations of sick employees
Federal government | Telephone sick leave
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