Sick leave notification: How employers can defend against absenteeism
From the Handelsblatt archive: An employee always calls in sick on bridge days and Mondays? These are the legal options companies have if they suspect someone is pulling a fast one.
In Germany, the number of sick days taken by employees remains high, with an average of 18.6 days per year from January to November 2025, according to data from Techniker Krankenkasse. A survey by Yougov found that over a quarter of employees have taken a sick day without being genuinely ill, while a study by Pronova BKK found that 60% of employees have taken a sick day despite feeling fit enough to work.
Employers have limited options to verify the legitimacy of sick days, but can take action if an employee is repeatedly taking sick days without a valid reason or if there are indications of "bluemaking" (pretending to be sick). The Medical Service of the statutory health insurance can be involved to verify the authenticity of a doctor's note.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
