cross-posted from: https://feddit.online/c/euro@feddit.online/p/1817064/germany-tightens-sick-leave-rules-medical-doctor-note-required-from-day-one-telephone-s
Germany’s Chancellor Merz:
We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies.
We are abolishing sick leave by telephone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness.
We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.
Even that, a typical Dutch doctor just won’t do that. Probably because they know all too well what the effects would be, so confidentiality is a nice cover.
But the employer needs to know how long you are gone somehow… I don’t understand the issue here.
A doctor may not even confirm if a person is a patient of his/her, nor is he/she allowed to confirm, or deny, sickness of a patient. Privacy was an important thing before the internet took over. But some remnants remain. An employee can tell his employer “I am sick. I don’t know for how long. Deal with it”.
I don’t think it’s a big deal as long as they don’t see actual medical details, but I see your point. And if this works out then I’m all for it.
Though my point was that this specifically is not what the article is about.