Update from April 2, 2026:
The debate about part-time sick leave has gained new momentum thanks to the report of a commission of experts. German social law only recognizes full ability to work or complete inability to work. “In other countries there is the possibility of partial incapacity to work with positive effects for the individual insured and the economy,” says the Health Finance Commission in the Federal Ministry of Health. The Commission therefore recommends the introduction of gradual incapacity for work. In the future, a graded assessment of incapacity to work could be made at 100, 75, 50 or 25 percent, which will be determined by a doctor and “in close consultation with the person concerned”. The aim is a more flexible adaptation to the actual state of health.
