German employers largely skeptical of partial sick‑leave policy

A survey by the Ifo Institute and staffing firm Randstad of about 1,000 HR leaders shows that 48 % of German companies consider the planned partial sick‑leave scheme “not useful”, while only 8 % view it as “very useful”. The majority expect no significant benefits, with 47 % seeing no positive effects. Those who do see advantages cite shorter overall absences (33 %) and faster return to work (31 %).

Employers’ main concerns centre on the difficulty of distinguishing between work‑capable and unfit employees (76 % of respondents, rising to 88 % in large firms) and the additional administrative burden (57 %). Nearly half (49 %) doubt the model’s feasibility for many job types, and 35 % fear it could overburden sick workers. The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) has raised similar worries about legal and practical issues ahead of the government’s legislative push for staged return to work.