But we're not really going to complain about a lack of days off in Germany, are we!?
•
11
•@MozartsGeistp I certainly don’t think so—in Germany, people work far too little and take far too much sick leave. I used to work 50–60 hours a week quite often. Yes, I earned quite well that way, since I had high performance-based bonuses. Twenty to twenty-five years ago, six-figure annual salaries weren’t common unless you had a college degree or had otherwise advanced your career. But I was also almost never sick. When I see how many people today—especially younger ones—take a few sick days every month, I think paid sick leave should be regulated on an annual basis rather than per illness.
Then our country’s economy would start to improve again, and we could once more invest broadly in German companies.
Then our country’s economy would start to improve again, and we could once more invest broadly in German companies.
•
22
•That's fine; I wasn't trying to question that anyway.
••
@Multibagger Sick leave is unlikely to decrease with the mandatory submission of a doctor’s note starting on day 1 and the elimination of sick leave requests made by phone.🤷🏼♂️ Those who used to take a day off without a doctor’s note are now more likely to be “signed off” for 3–5 days by the doctor, while those with infectious diseases—who until now were able to avoid the doctor’s office to get a sick note—must now sit there for hours alongside “healthier” patients, thereby infecting even more people in the waiting room. The likelihood of success for these measures: probably the opposite of what they’re intended to achieve.
•
55
•@Multibagger I’m afraid we shouldn’t underestimate the frustration that young people in particular are feeling today. It’s all a matter of perspective, too. If all you ever hear is, “You won’t get a pension anymore, you won’t have a career anymore, you won’t get any real wage increases anymore, you can’t afford houses anymore, you don’t have time to start a family, the world’s going to hell—here you go…” …we still worked our butts off, but it didn’t do you any good either. Just buck up—we still want our pensions. Hmm. Tricky. And I’m not saying I don’t agree with you to some extent… it’s just that your perspective is a bit too one-dimensional for me.
•
22
•@Musikerie I don't think that's right. You can still achieve something in life today—both professionally and financially. And it gives me hope that here (yes, I know it's a bubble), many young people are striving to avoid becoming dependent on government benefits later in life. Of course, this is also a matter of education and upbringing.
••
@Get_Rich_or_Die_Tryin You're right about that. That's why I suggest paying continued wages for only 42 days a year, except in cases of chronic illness or serious injuries resulting from an accident. Then the constant 2–3-day absences due to a slight cold, hoarseness, stomachache, a hangover, nice weather, etc., would stop very quickly once the 42 days are reached and only 60% of the base salary is at risk. Our economy and our social system are being ruined by this. I’m also against raising the retirement age across the board. Anyone who starts working at 16 or 17 after graduating from high school should be able to retire in their early 60s without any reductions in their pension. Anyone who drops out of three college programs and doesn’t start working until age 30 would have to work until 70 to qualify for a pension without reductions. That would be a fair solution. Which brings us back to clientele politics. You can’t pull that “continued annual wage payment” line on me with the SPD, and you can’t use the “working life” argument with the CDU!
•
22
•@Multibagger I completely agree with you.👍🏻 I think the suggestion is absolutely valid and I would support it.
•
22
•@Multibagger 42 days is already very generous... I like the suggestion, but I'm afraid something like that is too simple and pragmatic for politicians. It would probably be too easy to understand...
•
33
•@erbsinator Yes, I'm afraid so, too. Right now, there's just 6 weeks of continued pay for each new illness.
•
22
•@Multibagger I was trying to give you a perspective beyond your own—I didn't say that you can't achieve anything anymore these days. Investing has been a trend for a while now, and unfortunately, those who need it most are probably the ones who are least likely to be doing it. But it’s also a big topic—it’s easy to talk past each other when discussing it. Ultimately, people are all the same; we just don’t always understand them.
••

