The Off Topic Topic

[crazy canuck]

When Canadians say that it has become less safe to go south of the border, I'm not sure we had this in mind, but yeah, definitely add it to the list of reasons not to go across the border.

[Syt]

German government is changing the rules for sickness of employees.

1. You need a doctor's certificate on day 1 (not day 3(?) as is common).
2. Doctors will no longer be able to confirm sickness via phone (a measure from Covid days, to minimize contact and keep low priority cases from binding capacities).

In short, if you have a stomach bug or a debilitating migraine or similar short term illness you will need to schlepp yourself to the doctor for the written note.

Officially, the government believes that employees abuse the system, calling in sick for a day or two when they are not really sick (and yes, if there's a pattern of someone doing it all the time, you can already require more proof in excessive cases. In practice it will likely mean that many people with minor stuff that would lay you up for a day take up capacities in the waiting rooms or go to the office sick. Or get written sick for longer than they would normally be off work (e.g. a week instead of a day).

@Zanza, do I have this right? Been a while since I worked in Germany.

[crazy canuck]

German government is changing the rules for sickness of employees.

1. You need a doctor's certificate on day 1 (not day 3(?) as is common).
2. Doctors will no longer be able to confirm sickness via phone (a measure from Covid days, to minimize contact and keep low priority cases from binding capacities).

In short, if you have a stomach bug or a debilitating migraine or similar short term illness you will need to schlepp yourself to the doctor for the written note.

Officially, the government believes that employees abuse the system, calling in sick for a day or two when they are not really sick (and yes, if there's a pattern of someone doing it all the time, you can already require more proof in excessive cases. In practice it will likely mean that many people with minor stuff that would lay you up for a day take up capacities in the waiting rooms or go to the office sick. Or get written sick for longer than they would normally be off work (e.g. a week instead of a day).

@Zanza, do I have this right? Been a while since I worked in Germany.

We've gone the opposite direction and recent legislative changes have made their requirement of a doctors note for a short term sickness of three days or less unlawful

[Josquius]

That sounds daft.
And I expect knowing Germans with rules companies will keep to it?

[HVC]

I don't know what the rules are here, but I've never worked at a company that required a doctors note. Unless you were going on short term or something, of course.

[Grey Fox]

That's because we forgot that Germany has unlimited sick days and a quick google show up to 42 paid days.

[Zanza]

German government is changing the rules for sickness of employees.

1. You need a doctor's certificate on day 1 (not day 3(?) as is common).
2. Doctors will no longer be able to confirm sickness via phone (a measure from Covid days, to minimize contact and keep low priority cases from binding capacities).

In short, if you have a stomach bug or a debilitating migraine or similar short term illness you will need to schlepp yourself to the doctor for the written note.

Officially, the government believes that employees abuse the system, calling in sick for a day or two when they are not really sick (and yes, if there's a pattern of someone doing it all the time, you can already require more proof in excessive cases. In practice it will likely mean that many people with minor stuff that would lay you up for a day take up capacities in the waiting rooms or go to the office sick. Or get written sick for longer than they would normally be off work (e.g. a week instead of a day).

@Zanza, do I have this right? Been a while since I worked in Germany.

That's what I read as well and it fits with the general incompetence of our current administration.

[Richard Hakluyt]

We used to have a similar system in the UK; very easily gamed and a waste of doctors' time.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah - in practice I've had sick days and never been asked for a sick note. I think it's very sector-by-sector - but even when I used to work in hospitality I was never asked for a sicknote.

The only time I have provided one was when I'd had a pretty serious injury and it was basically "he will be unable to work for 2 weeks, no more than 4 hours a day after that for x weeks and will need occupational health review when he returns to the office". After three months of being invalided in my flat and working remotely was quite looking forward to getting back into the office and seeing people - it was March 2020

It is a positive post-covid change though that people who are a bit ill but not sick enough to take the day off generally just work from home now instead of dragging their germs across public transport and the office.

In terms of schlepping that might be a difference in Germany - it's basically impossible to get an in-person GP appointment here now (unless it's for a kid). So it'd probably just be a phonecall but, frankly, I think you'd be lucky to get that (unless it's for a kid). Edit: So I think if it was like that here it'd be the one way to get an in-person appointment Is remote call with the GP standard for general appointments there?

[crazy canuck]

We used to have a similar system in the UK; very easily gamed and a waste of doctors' time.

That is what drove our decision to make it unlawful. It's just a waste of finite resources that are needed for more important things.

[Sheilbh]

This is horrendous- international network of offenders committing crimes like those against Gisele Pelicot (there's a similar case working through the courts in the UK right now) and sharing videos and tips:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/02/international-network-drug-facilitated-rape-uncovered-by-uk-crime-agency

[crazy canuck]

From the article:

She said that many people affected might not know they had been a victim until they were contacted by the police or saw digital evidence. "We recognise how confusing and distressing that could be, particularly where the person responsible is somebody known and trusted," she said.

Horrific

[viper37]

Another successful tackle, in France this time.

[Duque de Bragança]

Une belle charge, plus qu'un tacle. 

[Valmy]

Marty was a visionary.