In a controversial move, German companies are turning to private investigators to verify the legitimacy of employee sick leaves. This practice, seen as a means to cut ties with underperforming staff amid economic challenges, has ignited a fierce debate on social media. According to AFP, the Lentz Group, a detective agency near Frankfurt, has reportedly seen a significant increase in demand for these services.
Founder Marcus Lentz said that he is seeing a record number of requests from firms for his agency to check up on employees suspected of calling in sick when they are actually fit to work. He told AFP that his company handles around 1,200 cases annually—double the number seen a few years ago.
Notably, Germany is facing a significant issue with absenteeism, which is taking a toll on its economy. According to Destatis, the federal statistics agency, German workers took an average of 15.1 days of sick leave in 2023, a substantial increase from 11.1 days in 2021, South China Morning Post reported. This high rate of absenteeism is estimated to have reduced Germany's GDP by 0.8% in 2023, contributing to an economic contraction of 0.3%. Research suggests that absenteeism is expected to be around 5% by 2050, associated with increasing economic costs of almost 3%.
The TK, one of Germany's major statutory health insurers, reported a record average of 14.13 sick days among its covered workers in the first nine months of 2024. Data from the OECD shows that Germans missed an average of 6.8% of their working hours in 2023 due to illness, surpassing other EU countries like France, Italy, and Spain.
The convenience of obtaining medical approval for leave, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, is believed to be a contributing factor to this high rate of sick leave. The system allowed employees with mild symptoms to obtain sick leave certificates over the phone, which has led to widespread misuse post-pandemic. Some employees are reportedly feigning illnesses or faking symptoms during phone consultations to secure sick leave.
In Germany, employees on sick leave are entitled to a full salary from their employer for up to six weeks per year. After this period, health insurance institutions take over, providing sickness benefits. To mitigate the financial burdens, some companies are hiring private detectives to investigate employee sick leave, despite the potentially high costs.
"There are just more and more companies that do not want to put up with it any more. If someone has 30, 40 or sometimes up to 100 sick days in a year, then at some point they become economically unattractive for the employer," Mr Lentz told AFP.
He said that he has seen cases where employees on sick leave were actually helping out at family businesses or renovating their houses. However, gathering evidence of misconduct doesn't always lead to successful dismissals.
For instance, an Italian bus driver was fired after being caught singing and playing the piano at a bar during his sick leave, supposedly due to anxiety. But Italy's Supreme Court ruled that these activities actually helped alleviate his condition and ordered his reinstatement.
According to the German Federal Statistical Office, the main reasons for sick leave are respiratory diseases, such as the common cold, influenza, and bronchitis, followed by mental health diagnoses and musculoskeletal issues like back pain.
