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 reports on the issue of fraudulent sick leave in the German workforce. Despite a slight decrease in recent times, the total number of workdays lost due to employee illness continues to remain high. According to data from the Techniker Krankenkasse, German employees averaged about 18.6 days off sick between January and November 2025, compared to only around 13 days per year in 2021.
However, the question remains: how many of these are genuinely sick, and how many are "bluemaching" by pretending to be sick instead? There is no clear answer, but indications suggest that over one in four workers have faked their sick leave at least once. 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 for work, with seven percent doing so frequently.
Approximately half of the respondents claimed this happens "sometimes" or "rarely." When an employee repeatedly claims to be sick when they could be working, it is not acceptable for employers to accept this. Two labor law specialists explain the legal options available to companies to deal with these "sick leave enthusiasts."
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
