Nursing in Schleswig-Holstein: Red alarm level for companies!

The debate about high sick leave in Germany increasingly absorbs speed. In recent years, absenteeism in Schleswig-Holstein has increased to a record high, which leads to great concern among corporate representatives. Allianz boss Oliver Bäte is now calling for the maternity leave, i.e. a day on which on the sick worker does not receive any wages. In his opinion, this measure could help relieve employers and save up to 40 billion euros annually, such as Tagesschau.de

The current figures show that the average absorption in Germany is 20 days a year, while the EU average is only eight days. In Schleswig-Holstein, the number is 23.3 missing days above the national average, a trend that has increased primarily since Corona pandemic. According to the AOK Nordwest, insured persons in the region are on sick leave in the region from January to November 2024. In comparison, the Techniker Krankenkasse recorded 17.7 absenteeism nationwide, while 19.7 days are recorded in Schleswig-Holstein. The reasons for these high absences are seen in infection waves, vaccination fatigue and the age of the employees. Furthermore, the company association north expresses reviews of the high absenteeism, according to

political reactions have proven to be mixed. Some politicians are open to a discussion about the introduction of maternity days, while others decidedly reject the proposal. Mercedes boss Ola Källenius has also emphasized that high sick leave is a serious challenge for companies. Social expert Bernd Raffelhüschen, on the other hand, supports the idea of ​​a maternity leave and demands three days without wages to relieve the system financially.