The black-red coalition's plans for stricter sick leave rules for employees have run into sharp criticism in the Bundestag. During a topical debate requested by the Greens on Friday, opposition speakers as well as members of the SPD spoke out against the proposal. Only the CDU/CSU defended the plan, which includes, among other things, a requirement for a doctor's certificate from the very first day of illness.
The plan "drips with distrust toward doctors and employees," said Green Party politician Ricarda Lang. She accused the CDU/CSU and SPD of a "mixture of social coldness, chaos and arrogance." She called it an "unrealistic idea" to try to strengthen the economy by forcing people who are unwell to go to a crowded doctor's office, where they would actually get sicker, or to work, where a sick employee would then "infect their colleagues."
"You are placing all workers under general suspicion," said Left Party politician Julia-Christina Stange. She too accused the coalition of wanting to push sick people into work. "Your capitalism is making us sick," Stange said. "I consider what the government is planning here to be madness," said AfD politician Martin Sichert. Referring to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), he also spoke of the "chancellor's distrust of his own people."
Also distancing himself from the plan negotiated by the leaderships of the CDU/CSU and SPD was SPD politician Jan Dieren. "If people drag themselves to work while half-sick, this increases the rate of infection," he warned. He also argued that the number of sick days could actually rise, since people who might otherwise take just one day off for something like a migraine would now have to see a doctor for a certificate, and would likely be signed off for several days at once as a result.
Defending the coalition's decisions for the CDU, Simone Borchardt argued: "Anyone who is unable to work needs a medical assessment." She said the goal must be to "return to a reliable normal state" when it comes to sick leave. Borchardt also signaled openness to introducing waiting days without continued pay, pointing out that this is common practice in many other countries.
Alongside the requirement for a certificate from day one, the coalition's plans also include abolishing the option of obtaining a sick note by phone. This too has drawn criticism, since it would likely increase the burden on GP practices and push more sick patients into already-full waiting rooms.
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