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Comment by fender256

14 hours ago

Thanks for the reminder that this shouldn't be taken for granted. I am a German and sometimes this privilege feels so normal that it's unthinkable that it could be different elsewhere in the world.

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fender256

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nicbou  14 hours ago

I help immigrants integrate for a living. Germany can be a frustrating country, but this is one of its best redeeming qualities.

I'd also add that the culture allows and encourages sick days. The average is 15 sick days per year IIRC.

  • patates  13 hours ago

    Totally off-topic, but I read your profile to learn about this: https://allaboutberlin.com - you do awesome work, thank you!

    Now I wonder if I could help the immigrants in my area (I'm in Hesse/Hessen), thanks for the inspiration too.

  • teruakohatu  13 hours ago

    The average number of sick days used is 15 or the number of days offered?

    In New Zealand we get a minimum of 10 sick working days per year but some companies offer more and allow unused sick leave to accumulate.

    • Genmutant  13 hours ago

      You don't have an offered number of sick days in Germany. If you're sick, your sick. At some points (after 6 weeks) the employer stops paying for it, and the payment switches to the health insurance and drops down to 70% of your usual gross salary (with some more specifics).

    • tumdum_  13 hours ago

      Sick days are not “offered” by employers. Sick days are prescribed by the doctors and there is no upper limit. After all, your sickness will not disappear just because it has been N days. That's at last how it is in Poland.

      6 replies →

    • sensanaty  12 hours ago

      Even the concept that you need permission from your employer to take a sick day is crazy to me. After all, if you're sick, you're sick, not like a hard deadline of 15 days (or whatever) is going to make the sickness go away?

      2 replies →

    • nicbou  10 hours ago

      I wrote a primer about sick days here: https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/sick-leave

      15 is the average. I use it to reassure people that it's okay to take sick days, and not one of those rights that no one dares to use.

      Usually, employers ask for a doctors' note after 3 consecutive sick days, but the reason for the sickness remains hidden from the employer. The note just gives a time range, nothing more.