Herr doktor must see you now.<\/p>\n
Germany is cracking down on sick days,<\/a> and will now require workers to provide a doctor\u2019s note before taking leave.<\/p>\n German Chancellor Friedrich Merz<\/a>, who has repeatedly bemoaned Germany\u2019s generous sick day policy, hailed the change as necessary to bolster the country\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n Germany\u2019s top officials announced sweeping economic reforms, including mandatory doctors\u2019 notes for workers who want to take a sick day. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cWe can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies,\u201d Merz told reporters. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are abolishing sick leave by phone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n \u201cWe know this is a tough decision, but we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.\u201d<\/p>\n Under Germany\u2019s former policy, workers were allowed to take up to six weeks of paid leave for an illness.\u00a0If the employee falls ill from a different sickness, the six-week paid leave starts\u00a0again.<\/p>\n That\u2019s on top of the six weeks of vacation time that most employees get.<\/p>\n Germany\u2019s new sick day policy is a notable change from the nation known for its employee-friendly policies and where many companies hail the four-day work week.<\/p>\n Along with more strict requirements for sick days, Germany also passed reforms that would gradually increase the retirement age from 65 to 67 and allow employers more flexibility to hire short-term workers.<\/p>\n German workers reportedly took advantage of the policy, with employees taking an average of 14.8 sick days a year, according to a survey from\u00a0German tabloid Bild<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n German workers will now have to provide a medical note on the first day of illness in order to take a sick day. Getty Images<\/p>\n The average German worker took about 14.8 sick days a year, according to one study. Michael Nguyen\/NurPhoto \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n Merz has bemoaned Germany\u2019s generous sick day policy, claiming its hampering the nation\u2019s economic growth. dts News Agency Germany\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n