Curious view on sick days, trainee thinks she is entitled to "30 days"

Status: 27.09.2023, 07:30 a.m.

By: Carina Blumenroth

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If an employee is sick, he stays at home, if he is healthy, he goes to work. The math is simple. But there still seem to be misunderstandings.

The entry into working life is associated with many innovations, the school days are over and the seriousness of life begins. All of a sudden, you are no longer concerned with poetry analysis or probability calculation, but with taxes, company policy and sick days. This can easily lead to misunderstandings. One trainee, for example, is said to have misunderstood the matter of sick days, as reported on X (formerly Twitter).

Sick days – a trainee thinks 30 days are possible

If you are sick, you are sick. But is there a right to sick days? (Symbolic image) © Cavan Images/Imago

If you're still learning, you may understand something differently than you actually meant. These misunderstandings can lead to conflicts with colleagues or superiors. Recently, this seems to have happened in connection with sick leave. On X (formerly Twitter), @OxytocinTussi describes how a colleague's trainee is absent once a month on Mondays and sometimes on Tuesdays. This was noticed and she said that she was entitled to 30 sick days per year.

How the story ended in concrete terms is not clear from the tweet. @OxytocinTussi wrote that she would hand out a warning and talk "Tacheles".

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Reactions on Twitter to sick days that you are entitled to

• "I also guess that she just has no idea what exactly that means and interprets it very creatively. And she may have severe menstrual cramps and not the courage to address them."
• "Once a month ... the lady may have menstrual pain. Sometimes it's easy."
• "No employee has to name the reason for the illness. She/He is simply sick. Point.
  If they are absent for three days each month, an AU can be required from the first day in the future."
• "It's boundless..."

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Sick days: What does it look like legally?

The 30 days are no coincidence – IG Metall reports that "the employer has to accept up to 30 days of absence per year". If employees are ill for more than 30 days (i.e. six weeks) a year, this is considered "unreasonable".

What happens if you get sick more often? Then a dismissal can actually be the result. IG Metall informs that courts always review the last three years. If employees have been ill for more than 30 days per year, there is a risk of dismissal. This is about common short illnesses. However, you can also be dismissed if you are permanently ill or have a negative prognosis for the future.

By the way, even if employees have a sick leave, the employer may doubt it under certain circumstances.