Germans will no longer be allowed to call in sick without sending a medical certificate, from day one of their illness.
That's part of the new plans announced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz last week, aimed at reviving the economy.
Currently, workers can stay home for up to three days without providing a note, which they can also get without seeing a doctor. Also, an employee on sick leave receives their full salary for up to six weeks.
Merz had repeatedly complained that the rate of sick leave is too high in Germany, harming productivity.
Nevertheless, the move has raised questions about how Germany compares to other countries in Europe, in terms of how easy it is to take sick leave and how much sick pay they get.
