I am on sick leave due to burnout/stress at work since Monday, for the full week. Issues have been persisting for a while, so I’ve asked my doctor if it would be possible for me to go to Norway, to stay at my friend’s house–which is close to nature and therefore WAY calmer than the city. My idea was to go there and be able to relax, and I felt safe knowing that I could videocall the doctor and check in with him regularly, and come back to Germany when I feel better (or even start working from there once my sickness is over, since my job is fully remote). To me, this makes sense as it fully supports my recovery.
To my surprise, the doctor told me I needed approval from the health insurance provider to go abroad–which to my understanding doesn’t make sense, as they only start paying out their contributions after the initial 6 weeks. In spite of that, I emailed the AOK about my situation and they came back to me saying (in a nutshell):
1. You can’t go on vacation, but if it really is needed then you must get approval from the doctor, and that cannot happen via videocall. It must be in person.
2. If the doctor does approve, then you can stay abroad for a maximum of two weeks at a time.
To me this sounds like inaccurate information, especially after reading [this article](https://www.allianz.de/recht-und-eigentum/rechtsschutzversicherung/arbeitsrecht/urlaub-trotz-krankschreibung/) and [this other Reddit post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/berlin/comments/ny2mqt/returning_home_while_on_anxietydepressionburnout/) I honestly feel unsupported and I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be able to go abroad to recover, when it support my health. It’s also odd because I’m totally able to get therapy online, if needed. Things aren’t getting better here. I don’t feel calm in the city and I don’t have any other affordable options where I could stay, other than Norway. Obviously, I can’t come back every two weeks as flight tickets are expensive and–most importantly–it’s terrible for the climate to do this back and forth.
What’s your opinion? What can I do?
Thanks in advance for your help.
1 comment
> or even start working from there once my sickness is over, since my job is fully remote
I can’t comment on the traveling abroad while on sick leave, but keep in mind you can’t work from outside of Germany without your employers permission. And they are entitled to say no.
If Norway doesn’t work out, maybe see if your situation allows for a flat exchange. Maybe you could exchange your place for somewhere a bit more remote for a month or something.