Waiting day: FDP wants to create an incentive model for reporting sick

The FDP parliamentary group is critical of calls for the abolition of continued wage payments for employees on the first day of illness. In a position paper, however, the Liberals advocate a bonus that employers could grant tax- and duty-free for each calendar month without sick leave and in addition to the basic salary.

Overall, a maximum allowance for such bonuses could be, for example, 3,000 euros per calendar year, according to the paper that is available to the German Press Agency in Berlin. And: “Positive ones appear to be preferable to a de-facto punishment for reporting sick
Incentives for not reporting sick.”

Allianz boss Oliver Bäte had suggested reintroducing the waiting day. Employees would bear the costs for the first day of illness themselves. Bäte has thereby initiated a debate about sick leave in Germany. This is statistically high in international comparison. In the Federal Republic – unlike in some other countries – continued payment of wages has been in effect for decades from the first day of illness.

Economists and associations warn about the economic consequences of the high level of sickness in Germany. This leads to lower economic growth and higher social security expenditure. However, economic experts also react skeptically to the proposal to stop paying employees for their first day of sickness. They also point out possible risks and undesirable side effects.

FDP parliamentary group vice-president Konstantin Kuhle warned against making general assumptions about employees’ lack of motivation or even laziness. “Regardless of the individual case, the sickness rate in Germany is too high,” he said. Incentive models are better suited than immediately considering wage cuts.

Watch the video above: A current study by Pronova-BKK shows: For 59 percent of employees in Germany, the “bedside decision” is in favor of reporting sick. But when are you actually allowed to call in sick – and when do you have to go to work?