BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The employees' association within the CDU has spoken out against the idea of eliminating sick pay on the first day of illness. "This proposal is completely unacceptable," said chairman Dennis Radtke to the "Tagesspiegel." He spoke of a "culture of mistrust towards all employees" and a "class war from above." People with small incomes would then drag themselves to work when they are sick and endanger others, Radtke fears.
The head of the insurance company Allianz, Oliver Bäte, had suggested that employees bear the costs of the first sick day themselves. This would relieve the burden on employers, for whom the high level of sick leave is a problem.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, employees in Germany were on average reported sick for 15.1 working days in 2023.