OTTAWA — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Thursday that workers will now be required to provide a medical certificate from the first day they call in sick, eliminating the country’s long-standing practice of obtaining sick notes through telephone consultations.Merz said the changes are necessary to improve Germany’s economic competitiveness as the country struggles with sluggish growth and rising workplace absences.“We can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave in our companies,” Merz said.“We are abolishing sick leave by telephone and introducing the requirement to submit a medical certificate from the very first day of illness.”“We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.”The measure forms part of a broader package of economic reforms unveiled by the conservative-led government, which argues Germany must improve productivity as its export-driven economy faces increasing competition from China and global geopolitical instability..Under the new policy, employees who report sick will be required to obtain official documentation from a physician immediately rather than consulting a doctor by telephone.The move has already drawn criticism from Germany’s medical community.Markus Blumenthal-Beier, head of the German Association of General Practitioners, called the change “absolutely catastrophic,” warning it could overwhelm doctors’ offices by forcing patients with minor illnesses to seek in-person appointments.The labour reforms accompany a broader economic package that includes €10 billion in annual tax relief aimed primarily at lower-income households.To offset part of the cost, the government plans to raise the top income tax rate to 47% from 45% for individuals earning €280,000 or more annually.Berlin also announced plans to reduce staffing across federal ministries by 8% through digitization, increase efforts to combat benefit fraud and study Swedish-style pension reforms, including a gradual increase in the retirement age.
