Sick leave

In Germany, employees are entitled to continued wage payment during illness for up to six weeks per calendar year, regardless of their employment contract type or hours worked. This statutory sick leave entitlement applies to all workers in the Federal Republic of Germany, whether employed full-time, part-time, or on marginal employment contracts.

The right to continued payment of wages during sickness is governed by the German Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (Continued Payment of Wages Act), which establishes the fundamental framework for wage continuation in cases of incapacity to work due to illness. The regulation ensures that employees receive their regular wages during periods when they are unable to perform their duties due to medical reasons, provided they furnish appropriate medical certification.

The six-week entitlement resets on a calendar-year basis. After the initial six weeks of illness in a twelve-month period, employees may be eligible for statutory sickness benefits through the German social insurance system (Krankenkasse), which typically provides approximately 70 percent of gross wages or 90 percent of net wages, up to a maximum daily rate. Employers are required to continue paying wages during the first six weeks of any illness episode, even if multiple illness periods occur within the same calendar year, as long as the cumulative duration does not exceed six weeks.

Employers must maintain accurate records of employee absences due to illness and ensure compliance with medical certification requirements. Employees are typically required to provide a medical certificate (ärztliches Attest) from the first day of absence or, in practice, from the fourth consecutive day of illness, depending on employer policy and collective agreements.