Sick leave: Yellow AU certificate will soon no longer be available

Created: 08/18/2022, 08:00

By: Judith Brown

From August 2022, employers should no longer have to send a sick note to the employer.

The transmission then runs electronically.

In the meantime, digitization has also found its way into medical practices.

The yellow certificate of incapacity for work (AU) in paper form is therefore a thing of the past.

Because since October 1, 2021, the AU has been sent digitally from the doctor’s office directly to the health insurance company, and this has even been mandatory since January 2022.

The annoying paperwork and the way to the post office is finally gone for employees.

The next step is to follow from August 2022: Then the yellow AU certificate should also be forwarded digitally to the employer.

Sick leave: AU certificate soon abolished - important for employees

From August 2022, health insurance companies will send the insured person’s certificate of incapacity to work electronically to the employer.

(symbol image) © McPHOTO/B.

Leitner/IMAGO

If an employee was given sick leave by the doctor, doctors previously issued four versions of the AU in paper form: an original for the health insurance company, a copy for the sick person, a version for the practice and a slightly modified version for the employer.

However, this should now be the end of August.

After the digital transmission of the original to the health insurance companies, from August 2022 the employer will also be provided with the employee’s AU electronically.

The health insurance companies are not responsible for forwarding the AU data to the employer.

According to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), they make them available to the employer electronically in the form of the so-called eAU.

This means they can be called up directly from the health insurance company.

Since the start of the digital forwarding of the AU data by the health insurance companies to the employer was set by law on January 1, 2023, insured persons should initially continue to receive a personal copy from the doctor.

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Working despite sick leave: What is allowed and what is not

Anyone who is on sick leave and feels fit to work again before the expiry of the sick leave issued by the doctor can also pursue this.

There shouldn't be any problems with the insurance.

According to Allianz, an employer has accident and health insurance like any other employee.

However, employees should make sure that the employee is actually able to work again, otherwise the boss could violate his duty of care.

However, it happens again and again that employees want to take sick leave without health reasons, as a family doctor reports.

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This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

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