Here we see conservative politicians hard at work solving imaginary problems.
Meanwhile the planet is burning and oligarchs siphon off our remaining wealth, destroying the very foundations of our society. But we can't let people have nice things!
this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2026
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is this the step where Germany reduces bureaucracy? or is it coming later
Did influenza write this legislation?
Piece of dog shit fascist
Today it went through parliament for real.
thats a different, even worse law. This one will seriously destroi a lot of the german medical system. It's already pretty much impossible to run a hospital without losing money, now hospitals get even less of it.
Oh shit sorry. And thanks for the correction. I guess the other thing isn't through yet, then. All I can find is that the coalition agreed to it with each other.
The ither thing is oretty much just an official "we are thinking about it." There isn't even a draft for a law or anything for it and it's so annoying that all the media report on it like it's a done deal and it's confusing a lot of people.
Well this is a step backwards.
Small step backwards for Germany, but a giant leap forward for contagious diseases.
This will backfire.
Before I retired, I got put on what my employer called a "sick leave letter" which means they thought I was abusing sick leave. Which was ridiculous, I had used only about 20% of the sick leave I had earned during my career and had a huge bank of time, but they said they thought there was "a pattern" because it was often in conjunction with my weekend. This sick leave letter required a doctor's note every time, instead of only for prolonged absences.
You know what doctors don't tell you? They don't tell you to "suck it up and get back to work as soon as you can drag yourself in", which was my M.O.. You know what they do tell you? They do tell you to take at least a week off, two if you can.
As I said, I had a huge bank of time. After two times where 1-2 days became two weeks, which I gladly took and turned into vacations, I started asking if they really wanted me to go to a doctor (which involved me spending about an hour going down the road to urgent care and spending a $20 copay to get a note for two weeks) or if I could just take a day or two. They, smartly, told me not to bother, which I required in writing. The sick leave letter expired eventually and I never heard any bullshit again.
TL;DR: Doctors tell you to take more time off than most people take on their own.
Fucking dickass fascist.
"Good morning, oh no I'm vomiting my guts up, can barely go 20 minutes without explosive diarrhea, and I'm bed-ridden from excruciating abdominal pain. Better get to the doctor so I don't have to go to work today."
What the fuck kind of hellhole is this? The billionaires are rich enough already.
Competitive advantage my ass.
I mean, that's how it's been in Italy forever. Some doctors are willing to diagnose you over the phone, but they risk legal repercussions, so either they come visit you at home when their office visiting hours are over, or you drag yourself to their office, potentially infecting a lot people.
Good point, but such a disgustingly tone deaf statement of calling current day Germany fascist is not only wrong but completely unnecessary.
Let me ask you something: is Merz pandering to the AfD?
I didn't call Germany fascist. I called Merz a fascist.
So is he pandering to the AfD and the oligarch class, or no?
She's not a fascist. You need to sit your American ass down and stop using that term as a populist buzzword in context of German politics. You understand absolutely nothing about what that term entails over here and how much we have suffered under it. We agree, politically speaking. But not everything we find despicable is fascism. Please educate yourself.
Merz is a she now? I didn't realize he transitioned...
And the reason I'm calling AfD fascist is because the German people I met in Germany all agreed that AfD is fascist. You want me to sit my american ass down, sure, I will. But let's ask some Germans it AfD are fascists and see what they say π€ hmmmm...
Wow you met some Germans? Damn I guess that makes you an expert then.
Typical American arrogance on display, congratulations on being another stereotype and a perfect demonstration of why your country went to shit.
You stupid fuck, you throw around "stupid american, listen to Europeans" and I tell you what the Europeans I've personally spoken with have said, and then you go "harhar, you listened to Europeans, what an idiot"
And since you're obfuscating on behalf of AfD, go fuck yourself extra hard. For all my European friends.
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If you're genuinely having an issue with a sick workforce then you build better healthcare and preventative care services.
I'm confused by this. I've never worked at a business that required (or was even interested in) a doctor's note when I was sick.
Why would I go to the doctor if I have any of the most common causes of sick days, like cold, flu, stomach upset, etc? They're not going to be able to do anything about it except take my temperature, confirm my described symptoms, and recommend fluids and rest. Meanwhile if I'm feeling too ill to go to work I'm going to feel too ill to go to the doctor, and being forced to go to the doctor instead of resting at home is only going to exacerbate the condition and potentially spread whatever I have to other patients at the doctor's office and on public transit (or do you want me behind the wheel in my condition?). Do y'all really have so much excess medical capacity that having people take up doctor time just for them to confirm "yup, sick" isn't a problem?
What happens when a company is like "this is dumb, we're not 'requiring' shit"? How is this even enforceable? Like, we all recognize this is overreach, but just from a practicality point of view how is any of this proposal feasible?
Do you continue to get paid when you're sick? If no, the company is less likely to care about why they stop paying you until you show up again.
Even for work where sick days are unpaid, many businesses (especially small ones) are going to suffer having a worker missing. After all, workers are supposed to generate more revenue than their salary costs, so the excess value is still being lost when someone calls out sick.
We have no "sick days". You're sick, you get paid. After six weeks in a row, health insurance takes over and you still get 70% of your usual wage.
What the fuck, is Germany grade school?
Does he get to check your clothes before you go out too?
Crazy. In the Netherlands the employer is not even allowed to ask what disease you have. If they want to know if your sick leave is legit they have to get an independent doctor involved.
Yes it's easy to abuse the system but hear me out, what if, the employer is nice to it's employees? They'd be unlikely to abuse sick leave.
The certificate doesn't say why one is sick, and the employer make not ask.
Still, requiring at first day is dumb on sooo many levels....
Same in Germany, the doctor does not say why, just that there is an inability to work due to illness. On top of that it is illegal for the employer to even ask.
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Answering the question why Merz is the least popular chancellor in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.
This is not the only answer to that questionβ¦
Great. Make yourself even less likable to the working class, by serving your billionaire masters. No wonder fucking AfD is winning by doing nothing these days.
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That's okay. A lot of people will needlessy suffer and instead of being sick for just a day or two, my doctor will probably give me a note for a whole week or longer. This will certainly help to be on the job more often. Brilliant. /s
Yeah totally. If I have to pay to see a doctor to get a sick note for a day off, I may as well get a whole week off.
My Dr will give me medical certs if I just say I'm tired and need some time off. Boom, 2 weeks off, no worries. The medical cert just says "Diagnosis: Medical Condition"
Donβt forget the big middle finger this gives to doctors, who most likely have too much paperwork to do now.
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In Germany, we say "Merz leck Eier".
Or jokingly twist it into "Mehrzweckeier", which is pronounced almost the same and translates to multiple-purpose eggs. The literal meaning is irrelevant - it's a reaction to someone getting persecuted by the state for using the original insult (Merz lick eggs/balls).
We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by prolonged absences from work.
The disadvantage:
| Country | Average Weeks/Days per Year |
|---|---|
| Finland | ~4.8 weeks (~24 days) |
| France | ~4.1 weeks (~20.5 days) |
| Portugal | ~4.0 weeks (~20 days) |
| Germany | ~3.9 weeks (~19-20 days) |
| Belgium | ~3.9 weeks (~19.5 days) |
Thanks for the numbers, where do they come from btw?
But... but... you are looking at the wrong countries!!1!11 You are looking at (more or less) reasonable european countries, when you should be comparing with the countries Merz would like to compete with: USA, China, Japan, etc...
[/ironie]
Neo-liberalism: as long as you're not aligned with the lowest pay, the longest working hours, the least time off, the least benefits, you're suffering from "competitive diadvantage", and you need to "fix it".
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I hate this passionately, for so many reasons.
They talk about how socialism breeds "nanny states". How is this ultra conservative move not nannyism?
Did all of these fucking people go to school in the 1890's?
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All of this could be solved by checking Merzβs internet history and imprisoning him
Itβs just really irrational on so many levels but thatβs the current German government for you.
German voters: well, voting for the right hasn't worked - they haven't done anything for the common people. We should try voting for nazis next.
Left/Green: hi there I have many things I want to improve for the common people!
German voters: go fuck yourself.
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Hey doc I have a cold. I'm also really burned out from work so it wouldn't hurt if you required me 2 weeks off paid that my employer just has to accept.
Doctors note mandate suddenly and inexplicably reverts
No, the next step is that sick leave is not paid anymore. So that you have to work sick or else you are losing money.
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