Krankmeldung: Wie sich Arbeitgeber gegen Blaumacher wehren können
Aus dem Handelsblatt-Archiv: Ein Mitarbeiter meldet sich immer an Brückentagen und montags krank? Diese rechtlichen Möglichkeiten haben Firmen bei Verdacht auf Blaumachen.
Berlin, Germany is currently experiencing a rise in absenteeism at work. According to data from the Techniker Krankenkasse, the total number of days lost due to employee sickness remains high. In January to November 2025, German workers averaged around 18.6 sick days, compared to only 13 days in the entire 2021 year. However, it is unclear how many of these were genuine illnesses versus "blue-manning" – pretending to be sick.
While no one knows the exact number, there are indications that more than one in four people have missed work due to false claims. A recent study by the Pronova BKK health insurance found that 60 percent of employees have claimed to be sick when they were actually fit to work. Seven percent do this "frequently," and half claim to do so "sometimes" or "rarely."
When an employee calls in sick repeatedly while actually able to work, employers must not tolerate it. Two employment lawyers explain the legal options companies have against these "sick feigners."
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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