SPD Minister Bärbel Bas has urged the Union to reconsider the controversial proposal introducing mandatory doctor’s notes starting from the first day of illness. While emphasizing her loyalty to the coalition government, Bas stated, “We should really question whether this is sensible,” according to the SPD leader of the Funke media group. She criticized the proposed regulation, noting that if a general duty is established but then requires 95 exceptions for groups like company-specific contractually bound businesses, it raises the fundamental question of whether the rule is even necessary in the first place.
Bas further announced that she will not propose any implementation plan for the first-day sick note requirement until Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) provides comprehensive regulations. She explained that the requirement for sick leave documentation from day one is tied to broader commitments, specifically ensuring timely appointments with doctors and stroke prevention measures, making it part of an overarching package. When questioned about potential delays in the draft laws needed to achieve these appointment guarantees, Bas simply replied that “it is not in my hands.”
A key point she made was that the SPD wanted to avoid both mandatory waiting periods and reductions in sick pay, both of which the Union had pushed for. Despite this, the SPD has “grudgingly acceded to the requirement for initial sick notes, even though we find the substance of it flawed.” Bas expressed serious concerns that this rule could lead to unnecessary misuse, suggesting that people with minor infections might visit a doctor on day one, resulting in a whole week of sickness documentation for what was initially just a brief absence.
