As Sick Days Hit 17 Per Worker, Germany's Partial Sick-Leave Plan Targets Long-Term Absences
12.06.2026 - 14:55:09 | boerse-global.de
Germany’s statutory health insurers are wrestling with a combination of high absenteeism and a projected €3.5 billion financing shortfall, prompting the government to push through a reform that would allow doctors to certify workers as partially incapacitated.
From 1 July 2025, medical practices can already issue an electronic substitute certificate (eEB) whenever the standard electronic sick note (eAU) fails for technical reasons — for example, when a system outage occurs or a patient’s chip card cannot be read. Industry observers call it a “significant step toward greater legal certainty,” since the eEB serves as proof of illness for the insurer even when the digital chain breaks.
Yet the more consequential change lies ahead. The federal government plans to introduce graded sick leave certificates before the summer parliamentary recess of 2026. Under the proposal, physicians would be able to certify incapacity in 25, 50 or 75 percent increments — a model borrowed from Scandinavia.
Employees suffering from illnesses lasting longer than four weeks could then return to the workplace on a reduced schedule, provided they feel capable and the employer agrees. If the boss vetoes the part-time arrangement, the employee retains full sick leave status. The intended effect is a faster return to work and a reduction in long-term disability. The government forecasts savings of roughly €40 million in 2027, rising to €160 million by 2030.
The reform comes against a backdrop of persistently high sick-leave levels. In the first eleven months of 2025, the average German employee was absent 17 days. A regional report from the Barmer health fund for the district of Rostock showed a modest decline — from 28.3 sick days in 2024 to 26.8 in 2025 — but the overall burden remains elevated. The main drivers are mental health disorders, musculoskeletal problems and respiratory illnesses.
Employers are paying closer attention to the validity of sick notes. Studies by the Pronova BKK insurer suggest that roughly 60 percent of employees have at some point called in sick even though they felt fit to work. However, companies must tread carefully. The DĂĽsseldorf Regional Labour Court has stressed that disproportionate surveillance of staff can trigger claims for compensation for pain and suffering.
Courts are also tightening standards around sick pay. The Munich Social Court ruled that entitlement to Krankengeld can be denied even when a sick note exists, if no new disease-related change in condition has occurred.
Financially, the statutory insurance system is under pressure. The average additional contribution rate rose by 0.8 percentage points to 2.5 percent at the start of 2025. Some funds, such as Knappschaft, lifted their rate as high as 4.4 percent. Contribution assessment ceilings have also been raised. Political observers warn of a funding gap of around €3.5 billion, prompting discussions about spending brakes for doctor’s offices, hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as possible restrictions on the contribution-free co-insurance of spouses.
Changes are also looming in long-term care insurance. Under the planned Nursing Reorganisation Act, the contribution assessment ceiling is set to exceed €7,000 per month from 1 January 2027, and the surcharge for childless individuals would rise to 0.7 percent.
