The employer association Gesamtmetall sharply criticized SPD leader Bärbel Bas this week over the debate concerning mandatory sick leave certification starting from the first day of illness. Oliver Zander, the chief executive of Gesamtmetall, told the “Rheinische Post”, “If the SPD now unexpectedly decides they do not want mandatory certification starting from the first sick day, then grace periods must be introduced instead.”
Recalling that the SPD had rejected grace periods and advocated for mandatory documentation during the Coalition Committee meeting in early July, Zander added that the SPD failed the Union when defending this compromise. He stated that the Union must not be “led astray.”
According to the Gesamtmetall representative, the overall rate of sick leave in Germany remains too high, even when compared internationally, with employees averaging 19 sick days in 2025. Moreover, companies in Germany alone paid almost 86 billion euros in 2025 just for the continuation of wages during periods of illness. The ultimate goal, he stressed, must be to reduce the overall sick leave rate.
Furthermore, the planned abolition of telephonic sick notes should proceed. Zander emphasized that it helps employees to see a doctor, thereby preventing illnesses from becoming chronic or prolonged. Bas, the SPD leader, had recently called into question the coalition agreement for introducing mandatory certification from day one.
