A German government-appointed health expert panel recommends that the option for a telephone-based sick leave be retained.
The panel of experts states in their statement, published on Thursday, that the increase in work incapacity days is likely not due to the telephone-based sick leave, but rather to the improved recording of work incapacity certificates, known as AU, introduced electronically.
It is very likely that the telephone-based AU would lead to a relief of the burden on doctor’s offices, which is particularly important in the context of Germany having a high number of doctor consultations in comparison to other European countries.
The expert panel also recommends the introduction of a legal regulation allowing for a partial sick leave and the issuance of a graduated AU certificate, enabling the continuation of work tasks in a health-allowable capacity during a sick leave. This option is particularly suitable for professions that can work partially “remotely”.
Finally, the expert panel recommends the establishment of a systematic monitoring of all AU based on anonymized data, enabling the detection of temporal and regional trends and supporting the cause-and-effect research.
The “Health and Resilience” expert panel, which focuses on the question of how the healthcare system and society can best respond to future health crises, has been meeting on a scientific basis since its first meeting in March 2024 and has so far issued 13 statements.