Criticism of the eAU procedure: Crafts demand change

Since the introduction of electronic sickness reports, many companies have been struggling with increased costs. Retrieving data from health insurance companies is bureaucratic and doesn't always run smoothly. A Bavarian initiative is now calling for automated data transfer.

This article is part of the special topic Bureaucratic madness in the craft industry

Since 1 January 2023, employees must Certificate of incapacity for work (AU) no longer forward this information to the employer. It is sufficient for employees to have their incapacity for work confirmed by a doctor and then inform their employer. However, the information is not subsequently transferred from the health insurance companies to the companies. Instead, employers must retrieve the data from the health insurance companies (the so-called pull procedure). 

The new regulation on electronic sick notes (i.e. the eAUB procedure) has been causing trouble, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, because even after almost two years, the process is anything but smooth. Even if things go well, it takes at least four working days and requires several steps on the part of the employer.

Many companies are required to request additional information from their employees regarding sickness notification. When requesting data from the health insurance companies, precise dates must be provided—such as the start and expected end of the incapacity to work—which, however, is not always the same as the date the employee first reported sick. Some employers report a real Chaos, it has nothing to do with digitalization and relief. 

The Free State of Bavaria has therefore Federal Council initiative to change the procedure In order to reduce the bureaucracy in the process, only such a so-called "push procedure" This means proactive, automated data transfer from health insurance companies directly to employers. Even if potential delays in data transfer from contracted physicians or hospitals to health insurance companies cannot be completely eliminated, "replacing the retrieval process with a push process for data transfer between health insurance companies and employers is the only option," it states. 

Goal: Automatic transmission of data by health insurance companies

The Bavarian craft sector supports the proposal to amend the Social Security Code accordingly. The obligation on the part of employees to provide support is to Obligation to collect for the companies "This procedure is a prime example of unnecessary bureaucracy, disrupts company processes and creates additional costs," says the President of the Bavarian Crafts Day Franz Xaver Peteranderl.  "A proactive and automatic transmission of electronic certificates of incapacity for work to employers by health insurance companies would significantly ease the burden on our companies. Legislators could also quickly follow up their words on reducing bureaucracy with action."

The skilled trades in Baden-Württemberg also support this demand, as the costs for businesses have increased enormously in the past two years. "The goal of creating an efficient system through digitalization has not yet been achieved. The current eAUB procedure is causing a unreasonable work and cost expenditure and causes disruptions in operational processes. Companies don't want more bureaucracy when it comes to sick leave, but less," emphasizes Handwerk BW Managing Director Peter Haas, which calls on the state government of Baden-Württemberg to support the application from Bavaria.

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