In everyday professional life, absences due to illness can occur from time to time. But how many sick days in a year are employees in Germany entitled to?
Absenteeism from work due to illness can occur for a variety of reasons. It can be, for example, a short cold, but also chronic illnesses or protracted psychological stress. But: No one can estimate how often you will really be absent as an employee in a year. That's why it's important for employees to know how many sick days they can claim.
Sick at work: Entitlement to continued payment of wages in the event of illness
In Germany, the Continued Payment of Remuneration Act (EFZG) regulates the entitlement to continued payment of wages in the event of illness (§ 3). Accordingly, employees of a company are entitled to up to six weeks of continued payment of wages by the employer in the event of incapacity for work due to illness. This continued payment is usually 100 percent of the gross salary. The EFZG also states that if an employee is absent again with the same illness, he or she is only entitled to full pay for a further six weeks if ...
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- ... he was not incapacitated for work for at least six months (as a result of the same illness) before the renewed incapacity for work, or
- ... a period of twelve months has elapsed since the beginning of the first incapacity for work (as a result of the same illness).
After six weeks, the employer's obligation to continue to pay wages usually ends. From this point on, employees can apply for sickness benefit from their health insurance company. This is usually 70 percent of the gross salary (but not more than 90 percent of the net earnings) and is paid for a maximum of 72 weeks. A corresponding sick pay calculator is available, for example, on the Finanztip website.
Sick at work: How many sick days are allowed in Germany?
Employees should be aware that a frequent and long-lasting presence of illness in the workplace can have a negative impact on their careers. Especially in smaller companies, this is more likely to lead to employees being seen as unreliable or unproductive.
How long you can be absent from work due to illness always depends on the industry and length of employment. Employees were on sick leave for an average of 2021.11 days in 2. (Symbolic image) © Science Photo Library/Imago
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There is no general rule for the maximum number of days of absence accepted, as the duration of employment, the industry itself and the employment contract, for example, also play a role here. According to IG Metall, anyone who has been sick for more than 30 days per year in three consecutive years of employment may be threatened with dismissal (due to illness). Even during the probationary period, you are not 100 percent protected against dismissal due to illness.
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According to the Federal Statistical Office, employees were on sick leave for an average of 2021.11 days in 2. "The moderate increase compared to 2019 (+0.3 sick days) is likely to be due, among other things, to the absence of major waves of flu and colds as a result of the mask requirement and distance rules."
No figures are yet available from the Federal Office for 2022. However, the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) writes: "With an average of around 19 days of absence, every working person insured with TK was on sick leave last year longer than ever before." For 2021, TK employees counted ø 14.53 days of absence, for 2020 15.15.
Sick at work: how to behave correctly
If you don't feel well, the first step must always be to inform the employer. Depending on the company's regulations, a visit to the doctor and the subsequent sick leave (certificate of incapacity for work/AU) may be due very promptly.
Especially in the case of a prolonged illness, you should stay in contact with your employer. Reintegration can also be planned in this way, if necessary. One option for some employees may also be to reduce absenteeism with overtime and vacation days. However, this requires consultation with the employer.
This article was created with the help of machines and carefully reviewed by editor Anna Heyers before publication.