Germany bans workers from calling in sick without a medical note

German workers could be banned from calling in sick without a medical note as part of a comprehensive reform package presented by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his government coalition partners.

The plan, which includes 34 measures, was announced in an effort to revive Germany’s struggling economy.

“These reforms all have one goal: We’re setting out into the future,” Merz said Thursday. “We’re strengthening ourselves so that we can live well in these new times.”

Under the tougher rules, employers would be able to ask for a doctor’s certificate from the first day a person is on sick leave.

According to the German Economic Institute, German workers take an average of 14.8 sick days a year, giving the country one of the highest rates of absenteeism in Europe. That is four times the UK sick leave rate.

Merz’s coalition of centre-right and centre-left parties took office just over a year ago with pledges to reform and turn around Germany’s economy.

The coalition has since become deeply unpopular, in part because of perceptions that it has squabbled but so far achieved little.

Merz is trying to cut his government coalition free from the negative reputation.

“From the very beginning, we set an agenda with a single goal in mind: We want to get Germany back on track. It is now clear that this is possible,” the chancellor said.

Germany’s economy returned to modest growth last year after shrinking for two years in a row. The government expects underwhelming growth of 0.5% this year, a figure that has been pushed down by the fallout from the war in Iran.

Some other reforms include cuts to income tax for low- and middle-income families, an overhaul of the creaking pension system, and a reduction of the country’s stifling bureaucracy.