Chancellor Merz is facing headwinds for his criticism of the high level of sickness in Germany. An expert makes clear demands.
Frankfurt am Main – In the debate about social reforms, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) criticized the high level of sickness in Germany and called for more economic performance. The Chancellor’s latest statements have led to sharp criticism in politics.
But opposition does not only come from political circles, including in the Economy is criticized. A post on the Threads platform that is directly addressed to Merz has already received over 100,000 views and is causing a stir. In addition to criticism of Merz’s statements, concrete demands are also expressed – many users show their opinions in the comments.
Merz’s sick leave statements: Former manager is stunned
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A user, who claims to be a former manager with 47 years of professional experience, responds in his thread post with sharp criticism of the Chancellor’s statement on sick leave in Germany. The post, published on January 18, 2026, has already collected almost 2,700 likes.
The author describes that he has learned a lot about corporate health management during his professional career. In his entire career, he only came across two doctors who took sick leave carelessly and who, as a manager, he had to work with the medical associations to put a stop to. All other doctors acted in accordance with their oath.
“As Chancellor, you should know, or at least have advisors who tell you, that in principle sick note by telephone only applies to patients the doctor knows well. If there are concerns, the doctor will summon the patient,” the user continued. He particularly sharply criticized waiting days: “I had to submit the certificate of incapacity for work to two employers on the first day. For all the others it was usual after the third day. That’s how it should stay. I think waiting days are counterproductive, as they probably contribute to even more people going to work sick, as they have in the past.”
The former manager also has a demand: “There needs to be an initiative for good health management in companies that takes workplaces and the working atmosphere into account. And you will notice that days of absence will decrease and productivity will be significantly increased.”
What exactly are waiting days?
Waiting days (or waiting days) are those days at the start of an incapacity for work for which the employee is not entitled to continued payment of wages by the employer or sick pay from the insurance company. In short: you are on sick leave, stay at home, but don’t get any money for these specific first days (usually one to three).
In Germany, the concept of waiting days has now been legally abolished. After Continued Payment of Wages Act (EFZG) Employees are generally entitled to continued payment of wages by their employer from the first day of illness.
Sick leave criticism from Merz: This is how users react in the comments
That that Interest in the current political debate is also evident in the replies to the thread – from managers to employees in different industries, users show their different opinions and perspectives. Almost everyone agrees with the ex-manager.
A managing director describes his approach: “I am a managing director with 24 employees and deliberately keep sickness levels low by creating a good working atmosphere and not forcing anyone to come to work when they are sick. If someone is sick, they can be absent for as long as necessary – without fear of consequences. This pays off in productivity, sales and profits,” the user continues. This comment received over 1,200 likes.
Another user’s comment reveals a significant and insightful perspective: “Merz has no idea how many women drag themselves to work every month with period pain, painkillers and hot water bottles and still do their job well!” Her statement received over 1,100 likes.
A train attendant was equally critical and turned directly to Chancellor Merz: “Would you like being checked by a rotten employee? No? Neither would everyone else. That’s why our employer tells us to go to the doctor immediately, even if we have a mild cold.” (Sources: Threads, dpa, Duden, EFZG) (phs)
date: 2026-02-15 18:35:00