The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) reacted angrily to a proposal by employer‑lead Rainer Dulger, who has called for a pay‑free quarantine day for employees who are ill.
Board member Anja Piel told the news portal T‑Online that Dulger’s suggestion “demonstrates a deep mistrust of workers and places them all under general suspicion”. She added, “It remains a pipe‑dream to force sick staff, under the threat of financial loss, to come to work sniffling or limping”.
Piel pointed out that, on average, a single unpaid day costs a worker about five percent of their gross salary. “Someone who is sick and unable to work should neither be expected at the workshop nor in the office – that should not be a matter of money” she said. She concluded that those who truly want to reduce absenteeism need to improve workplace and health protection rather than punishing the sick.