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In Germany, the number of absences due to illness varies depending on the source. According to data from the German Federal Statistical Office, the average duration of sick leave in 2023 was 15.1 working days per employee. The German Association of Health Insurance Funds (BKK) reports as many as 22.4 days, while Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) estimated 19.4 days, and the OECD 24.9 sick leave days per person in 2022.

These figures are not always comparable due to different data collection methods. In Germany, workers do not have to submit a medical certificate of illness immediately, but only after the third day of absence, which can affect the accuracy of the statistics, writes Fenix Magazin.

By law, employees are entitled to full salary payment during the first six weeks of sick leave, after which health insurance takes over the compensation. According to data from the German Economic Institute (IW), the costs borne by employers due to continued salary payments during sick leave in 2023 reached 76.7 billion euros.

There is no legal regulation, but bonuses are common

German law does not prescribe special rules related to attendance bonuses. Companies decide for themselves whether and how they want to reward workers who are rarely or never on sick leave. These bonuses are most often regulated by internal rules or employment contracts, and are paid together with the regular salary.

Examples from practice: Up to 1,000 euros annually

Tesla is one of the better-known companies that rewards workers for not taking sick leave; employees who achieve so-called gold status at the end of the year receive a bonus of 1,000 euros, according to a Handelsblatt report from June 2024. Similarly, the transport company KVG from Kiel pays 250 euros per quarter to those who were not on sick leave, while those with up to two days of absence receive 200 euros, and those with three to four days receive 125 euros. The maximum annual bonus can reach 1,000 euros.

SGM, a security company at Munich Airport, also pays an attendance bonus, although the amount is not known. I-SEC, a provider of security services at Frankfurt Airport, pays a daily bonus of 2.50 euros, which amounts to up to 50 euros per month.

The company Hamburger Hochbahn pays its employees 615.62 euros every six months, and a deduction is applied only from the third day of sick leave in the half-year period. The bonus is not paid if the worker is on sick leave for more than 17 days in the half-year period. The retailer Zurheide Feine Kost rewards employees with an attendance bonus after one year of service.

Mercedes abolished the bonus, experts warn of risks

Until the end of 2019, Mercedes paid an annual gross bonus of 200 euros to workers who were not on sick leave, but abolished this practice without explanation.

Although attendance bonuses can reduce the number of absences, experts warn of possible negative consequences. The deputy chairman of the management board of AOK Niedersachsen insurance points out that such incentives can lead sick workers to come to work and thereby endanger the health of colleagues. The recommendation is to place the emphasis on employees' health and recovery, and not only on attendance.