Employee rights and obligations regarding sick leave in Germany

Under the Continued Remuneration Act (EntgFG), employees in Germany must inform their employer immediately regarding their inability to work and the expected duration of the illness. Experts advise that notification should ideally occur before the start of the working day to ensure the employer is aware of the absence.

While many employees with statutory health insurance no longer need to submit paper certificates, the process has transitioned to an electronic sick note (eAU). In this system, doctors transmit data to health insurance providers, and employers retrieve the necessary information electronically. However, this digital process does not exempt employees from their obligation to personally notify their employer of their illness.