Debate Intensifies Over Ending Phone-Based Sick Notes in Germany

Amid soaring sick leave rates, politicians and employers push to abolish phone-based sick notes, while doctors warn of increased strain on healthcare services.

• Germany is experiencing record-high sick leave rates, attributed by some to the ease of obtaining phone-based sick notes.
• The FDP and employers argue that requiring in-person doctor visits for sick notes could reduce potential misuse and economic impact.
• Doctors and healthcare associations defend phone-based sick notes as essential for reducing bureaucracy and managing high patient volumes.
• Critics of the phone-based system claim it lowers the threshold for obtaining sick leave, although evidence of widespread abuse is debated.
• The measure was originally introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and made permanent in December 2023 to ease healthcare burdens.

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