Sick Leave Report: How Employers Can Defend Themselves Against Slackers
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 has decreased slightly, but remains high, with an average of 18.6 days per employee from January to November 2025, according to data from Techniker Krankenkasse. This compares to 13 days in 2021. A survey by Yougov found that over a quarter of employees have taken a sick day under false pretenses at some point.
A study by Pronova BKK found that 60% of employees have taken a sick day when they felt fit for work, with 7% doing so frequently. Employers have legal options to address repeated instances of employees taking sick days when they are able to work.
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.
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