The German government is planning pilot projects to explore legally compliant solutions for round-the-clock care arrangements, addressing a growing area of uncertainty for families and caregivers. Katrin Staffler, the Federal Government’s Nursing Commissioner, highlighted the potential for significant financial repercussions, or “back payments” arising from current practices.
“We need to provide families who opt for such models with legal certainty” Staffler stated in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. She confirmed that work is already underway to develop these secure solutions, with practical trials planned in the near future. The focus, she emphasized, will be on achieving a balance, ensuring neither caregivers nor families experience undue strain – either physically or financially.
Current estimates suggest that approximately 300,000 German households rely on caregiver services, frequently involving individuals from abroad. Staffler stressed that this is a significant issue, not a peripheral one.
While acknowledging the existence of models, such as the approach used in Austria where caregivers are classified as independent contractors to circumvent labour law constraints, Staffler cautioned against replicating this approach. She argued that the Austrian model does not fully resolve the underlying issues, contending that it often masks a dependent employment relationship due to the caregiver’s obligation to adapt to the needs of those they are supporting, thus remaining incompatible with European labor law principles.