Holidays in the hospital? Allianz boss demands drastic turn!

In Germany, there could be a significant reform of continued wages in the event of illness. Allianz CEO Oliver Bäte plans to request the reintroduction of maternity days, i.e. days when employees do not receive any wages in the event of illness. According to Bäte, this measure could relieve employers and save up to 40 billion euros annually. The advance is part of a broader debate about the increasing disease costs in Germany, which cost around 77 billion euros annually for salaries for salaries on sick leave, plus 19 billion euros from the health insurance companies.

Currently on sick leave in Germany will continue to receive their salary from the first day, while the average disease level was 15.1 working days in 2023. In comparison, the EU average with eight days of illness is significantly lower. The discussion about maternity leave is not new; As early as December 2024, Monika Schnitzer, head of the economy, had proposed a review of the reintroduction of maternity days. These practical regulations were abolished in the 1970s and their return is controversial among experts.

reactions to the proposal

The DGB criticized the proposal as unjust and warned of the so -called "presentism", in which employees come to work despite illness. IG Metall also commented negatively and described the proposal as "outrageous" and "fatal" because he attacked social security. Tobias Stüber, head of Flibco, also speaks against unpaid days of illness and instead demands better corporate policy.

On the other hand, there are voices that support the idea of an unpaid day of sickness. Social expert Bernd Raffelhüschen pleaded without wages for three days. Mercedes boss Ola Källenius sees high sick leave as a serious problem for companies. Opinions differ politically; While some politicians are open to a discussion about maternity leave, others reject the proposal.

An overview of the costs and the current sick reports in Germany shows the dimension of the problem: In 2024, the sick reports reached an average of 17.7 sick days from January to November, compared to 17.4 in 2022 and 13.2 days in 2021. Before the Corona pandemy, the number was 14.1 days in the first eleven months.

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