‘Treated like shirkers’: German unions cry foul over Merz’s sick-note crackdown
AI Summary
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is proposing to end the practice of obtaining short-term sick leave via telephone, arguing that Germany's generous sick leave policies are hindering economic growth. Merz cites the average of 14.5 sick days taken per year by German workers as too high and believes the ease of obtaining sick notes by phone contributes to the problem. The proposal is supported by some medical professionals who believe in-person evaluations are necessary to determine fitness for work. However, the proposal has drawn criticism from labor unions, who accuse Merz of unfairly portraying sick employees as shirkers. Members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) also argue that the change would burden doctors' offices unnecessarily. The health minister has stated that her department will critically review the practice.
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