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People who are sick usually have other concerns than taking or mailing the yellow slip to work. An electronic sick note would be a real relief. (Photo: © subbotina/123RF.com)

Read aloud:

AU certificate: The yellow slip is abolished

Operations management

September 2019

The federal government is replacing the "yellow slip" with an electronic certificate of incapacity for work. Health insurance companies will be required to inform employers electronically about the onset and duration of an illness.

Anyone who is given a sick note by a doctor must currently hand the yellow slip to their employer (or send a photo of it in advance). Federal Ministry of Economics finds this far too bureaucratic and considers the paperwork to be outdated. Starting in 2021, this whole process will be replaced by an electronic certificate of incapacity for work.

The electronic reporting procedure will be with the third Bureaucracy Reduction Act (BEG III) In 2017, according to the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, around 77 million such AU certificates have been issued.

Health insurance companies inform the employer on request

How will this work in the future?

The (statutorily insured) employee informs his or her employer about a sick note.
The employer can then retrieve the data electronically from the health insurance company.
He can find out about the start and duration of the incapacity to work.
He will also be informed of the date when continued payment of wages will expire.

The digitization of the certificate of incapacity for work would significantly reduce the burden on both companies and their employees, the ministry said.

In addition, this would avoid disputes over the timely submission of certificates.

Text: Kirsten Freund / handwerksblatt.de

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