German court rules online sick notes without doctor contact can lead to dismissal

The Hamm State Labor Court has ruled that submitting an online sick note obtained without any medical consultation can lead to summary dismissal. The decision followed a case where an employee submitted a certificate purchased online that was issued without any personal, telephone, or digital contact with a physician.

The court viewed this as intentional deception, upholding the employer's decision to terminate the employment relationship immediately. While not all online medical services are illegal, the court emphasized that merely completing an automated questionnaire does not constitute a valid medical assessment if no actual contact with a doctor occurs.