Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz this week announced a crackdown on the high number of sick days the country takes.
The move follows research published in January by the Berlin-based IGES Institute, showing that German workers now take an average of 19.5 working days as sick leave per year.
That figure is a noticeable increase from about 13 days in 2018.
As part of Merz's proposals, from January next year, workers will no longer be able to get a sick note over the phone. They must visit a doctor in person and on the first day of illness.
The measure adds a layer of difficulty to taking time off work due to sickness.
