Germany launches phone-in doctors' notes for parents of sick children
Parents who have to stay home from work to look after unwell children in Germany can phone their GP and obtain a sick note from Monday.
Following the introduction of phone-in sick notes for adults, the government has also paved the way for parents with sick children to obtain proof from their doctor over the phone.
From Monday, employees who need to stay home and care for their child can call their GP to get a note for their employers - provided the child has visited the doctors' surgery in the past and is still known to them.
Workers who can't take paid time off can also phone up their surgery for a certificate that enables them to get 'Kinderkrankengeld' for up to five days, according to information from the association of statutory health insurance funds.
Known in English as child sickness benefit, Kinderkrankengeld is form of benefit payment that covers up to 90 percent of a workers' salary when their child is unwell.
READ ALSO: What to know about Germany’s new digital healthcare law
If their employer doesn't allow paid time off for personal emergencies, health insurance funds will cover up to 10 days of unpaid leave per child per year, up to a maximum of 25 days.
From the fifth day, however, parents would need an in-person visit to their GP along with their child.
Record sick leave
Less than a year after the last remaining Covid regulations expired, Germany is seeing record levels of sick leave amid a swell of respiratory infections.
With flu viruses and various strains of coronavirus sweeping through the nation, insurance companies estimate that the number of days taken off work due to sickness this year will be higher than ever at an average of 20 days per person.
Recently, Kita and school associations warned that closures were possible due to short staffing and the number of people phoning in sick.
To try and minimise the spread of infection and ease the burden on clinics, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) reintroduced phone-in sick notes for mild illnesses on December 7th.
READ ALSO: How Germany could bring back telephone sick notes sooner than expected
This had been in place for respiratory viruses during the pandemic but expired in March this year.
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Following the introduction of phone-in sick notes for adults, the government has also paved the way for parents with sick children to obtain proof from their doctor over the phone.
From Monday, employees who need to stay home and care for their child can call their GP to get a note for their employers - provided the child has visited the doctors' surgery in the past and is still known to them.
Workers who can't take paid time off can also phone up their surgery for a certificate that enables them to get 'Kinderkrankengeld' for up to five days, according to information from the association of statutory health insurance funds.
Known in English as child sickness benefit, Kinderkrankengeld is form of benefit payment that covers up to 90 percent of a workers' salary when their child is unwell.
READ ALSO: What to know about Germany’s new digital healthcare law
If their employer doesn't allow paid time off for personal emergencies, health insurance funds will cover up to 10 days of unpaid leave per child per year, up to a maximum of 25 days.
From the fifth day, however, parents would need an in-person visit to their GP along with their child.
Record sick leave
Less than a year after the last remaining Covid regulations expired, Germany is seeing record levels of sick leave amid a swell of respiratory infections.
With flu viruses and various strains of coronavirus sweeping through the nation, insurance companies estimate that the number of days taken off work due to sickness this year will be higher than ever at an average of 20 days per person.
Recently, Kita and school associations warned that closures were possible due to short staffing and the number of people phoning in sick.
To try and minimise the spread of infection and ease the burden on clinics, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) reintroduced phone-in sick notes for mild illnesses on December 7th.
READ ALSO: How Germany could bring back telephone sick notes sooner than expected
This had been in place for respiratory viruses during the pandemic but expired in March this year.
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