Policy would foster ‘a culture of distrust of employees’

Canadian HR professionals should watch how Germany's move to eliminate phone-in sick days plays out, since the policy is among the most aggressive absence-management crackdowns of any major economy.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Thursday that workers can no longer call in sick by telephone and must get a medical certificate on day one of illness, part of a 34-point package of pension, tax and labour reforms, Reuters reported.

The new requirement

Under the change, employees will need to see a doctor and produce documentation from day one of illness, rather than the previous grace period. Reuters reported the measure is meant to curb lost workdays.

Merz said the government "can no longer accept the extraordinarily high levels of sick leave," according to news.com.au, framing the change as necessary for economic competitiveness.

Merz said he intends to move the package through parliament by year's end. The sick-leave rule is paired with other changes, including expanded scope for fixed-term contracts up to 48 months through 2030, and greater flexibility for dismissal-with-compensation arrangements for high earners, Reuters reported.

Union and medical community pushback

The proposal has met resistance from labour groups and physicians even as business groups welcomed it, news.com.au reported. Frank Werneke, head of the services-sector union Verdi, said the policy would foster "a culture of distrust of...

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