Are doctors responsible for the increase in sick leaves?
The rate of sick leave in Germany has increased significantly, putting many companies in a difficult position, especially in light of the declining economic situation. In 2023, the cost of continuing to pay salaries during illness reached approximately 77 billion euros, compared to 24 billion euros for Bürgergeld in the same year. In 2024, the average number of sick days per person in Germany reached 14.8 days.
The well-known businessman Wolfgang Grupp, the former president of Trigema in the city of Burladingen, partially blamed doctors, accusing some of them of granting sick leave without valid reasons. In an interview with ZDF, he said that he wrote several "harsh" letters to a number of doctors about this matter, emphasizing that he rarely finds a doctor he hasn't contacted.
Ghoroub proposed a solution to reduce this phenomenon, which is to reduce the salary during sick days to only 80%, saying: "If you are sick, you do not need a full salary." He emphasized the importance of employers being role models in this area, adding that he has never missed a day of work during his career.
Despite the criticism, Grob expressed his sympathy for genuine medical cases, affirming that he sends personal support messages to Trigema employees if they suffer from a serious illness.
On his part, the chairman of the Trigema Works Council, Karl-Josef Schuizer, spoke about employees who are absent six or seven times a year, creating a sense of unfairness among committed colleagues. He also explained that some doctors prefer to grant sick leave for a whole week due to the immense pressure on their clinics, which reduces the need for frequent follow-ups and alleviates their workload. Despite all this, the report indicated that sick leave rates at Trigema are lower than the national average, where employees who do not take leave for two months are rewarded with fuel vouchers worth 50 euros.