Germany requires doctor note for all sick leave

The German government has enacted a significant labor reform, abolishing the long-standing practice of allowing employees to call in sick by phone. Effective immediately, workers must now provide a medical certificate from a doctor starting on the very first day of any illness.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the change on Thursday, July 2, as part of a broader package of economic reforms. He cited what he described as unacceptably high levels of sick leave, which he argued are harming national productivity and creating a competitive disadvantage for German businesses. "We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies," Merz told reporters. "We are abolishing sick leave by telephone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness."

Under the previous system, employees could typically report sick by phone and, depending on their situation, could take up to three days off without seeing a doctor or obtain a sick note via a phone consultation for longer periods. The new mandate requires an in-person visit to a physician to obtain the necessary certification from day one.