Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Tool to Counter Sick-Leave in Germany

If you work in Germany....one of the dozen-odd benefits that you typically get....is sick leave.  The normal method is that you can call in and claim the first day....without a doctor's note.  After that, you need to visit the doctor and get a note.  In some companies....even the first day of sick leave requires the doctor's note.

So the topic came up in the news today, with WDR (regional public TV news).

Some companies are pushing across this new concept....a monthly premium (bonus) if you make it the entire month without a single day of sick leave.  Naturally, some unions are upset about this type of deal.

The amount discussed? 450 Euro a month.  For most Germans, that's a fair amount of money ($500 roughly).

This came up with a commercial security organization (private security).

Legally, attendance bonuses have been reviewed in the past and never found to be illegal.  What's generally said is that you can make this a monthly deal, or even a yearly deal.

The odds of this taking off and being a tool with most German companies?  Zero.  However, if you were a company where you need X-number of people to be on some shift each day and perform....it might be beneficial  to officer an incentive like this.  Taxable?  Oh yes.

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