A German court has ruled that employees do not have a right to continued pay if they become unable to work due to complications following a tattoo. The Landesarbeitsgericht Schleswig-Holstein confirmed a previous decision by the Arbeitsgericht Flensburg, as announced on Friday.
In a specific case, a care assistant had a tattoo on her arm, which then became inflamed, leading to her being off work for several days. The employer refused to pay her wages and the court found no fault on the part of the employer, as the employee had knowingly taken the risk of an infection.
The court noted that, in up to five percent of cases, complications can arise from tattoos, which is not an unforeseeable risk. The court declined to allow an appeal to the Bundesarbeitsgericht.