Great. Make yourself even less likable to the working class, by serving your billionaire masters. No wonder fucking AfD is winning by doing nothing these days.

Don’t forget the big middle finger this gives to doctors, who most likely have too much paperwork to do now.

We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.

The disadvantage:

It‘s just really irrational on so many levels but that‘s the current German government for you.

I hate this passionately, for so many reasons.

They talk about how socialism breeds "nanny states". How is this ultra conservative move not nannyism?

Did all of these fucking people go to school in the 1890's?

IIRC this flawed arrangement is in common with Japan, and often leads to sick notes made for days or more just to make sure the patient doesn't have to go get one sick leave note per day, meaning unexpected vacations, commonly.

So already knowing how that works, is this just performative politics by Merz?

What the fuck, is Germany grade school?

Does he get to check your clothes before you go out too?

Crazy. In the Netherlands the employer is not even allowed to ask what disease you have. If they want to know if your sick leave is legit they have to get an independent doctor involved.

Yes it's easy to abuse the system but hear me out, what if, the employer is nice to it's employees? They'd be unlikely to abuse sick leave.

Hey doc I have a cold. I'm also really burned out from work so it wouldn't hurt if you required me 2 weeks off paid that my employer just has to accept.

Doctors note mandate suddenly and inexplicably reverts

This will backfire.

Before I retired, I got put on what my employer called a "sick leave letter" which means they thought I was abusing sick leave. Which was ridiculous, I had used only about 20% of the sick leave I had earned during my career and had a huge bank of time, but they said they thought there was "a pattern" because it was often in conjunction with my weekend. This sick leave letter required a doctor's note every time, instead of only for prolonged absences.

You know what doctors don't tell you? They don't tell you to "suck it up and get back to work as soon as you can drag yourself in", which was my M.O.. You know what they do tell you? They do tell you to take at least a week off, two if you can.

As I said, I had a huge bank of time. After two times where 1-2 days became two weeks, which I gladly took and turned into vacations, I started asking if they really wanted me to go to a doctor (which involved me spending about an hour going down the road to urgent care and spending a $20 copay to get a note for two weeks) or if I could just take a day or two. They, smartly, told me not to bother, which I required in writing. The sick leave letter expired eventually and I never heard any bullshit again.

TL;DR: Doctors tell you to take more time off than most people take on their own.

Answering the question why Merz is the least popular chancellor in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Fucking dickass fascist.

"Good morning, oh no I'm vomiting my guts up, can barely go 20 minutes without explosive diarrhea, and I'm bed-ridden from excruciating abdominal pain. Better get to the doctor so I don't have to go to work today."

What the fuck kind of hellhole is this? The billionaires are rich enough already.

Competitive advantage my ass.

Well this is a step backwards.

This has never worked. This is very stupid.

the beating will continue until

In Germany, we say "Merz leck Eier".

If you're genuinely having an issue with a sick workforce then you build better healthcare and preventative care services.

is this the step where Germany reduces bureaucracy? or is it coming later

All of this could be solved by checking Merz’s internet history and imprisoning him

Social services is an investment with positive ROI, you can't afford to save in on it

Did influenza write this legislation?

I'm confused by this. I've never worked at a business that required (or was even interested in) a doctor's note when I was sick.

Why would I go to the doctor if I have any of the most common causes of sick days, like cold, flu, stomach upset, etc? They're not going to be able to do anything about it except take my temperature, confirm my described symptoms, and recommend fluids and rest. Meanwhile if I'm feeling too ill to go to work I'm going to feel too ill to go to the doctor, and being forced to go to the doctor instead of resting at home is only going to exacerbate the condition and potentially spread whatever I have to other patients at the doctor's office and on public transit (or do you want me behind the wheel in my condition?). Do y'all really have so much excess medical capacity that having people take up doctor time just for them to confirm "yup, sick" isn't a problem?

What happens when a company is like "this is dumb, we're not 'requiring' shit"? How is this even enforceable? Like, we all recognize this is overreach, but just from a practicality point of view how is any of this proposal feasible?