Certificate of incapacity for work and sick pay

What is a certificate of incapacity for work?

If you are ill and cannot work, you must tell your employer. Or your place of work. You then need a certificate of incapacity for work. This is also known as an A U. You can get the A U from your doctor.
Your place of work must continue to pay you your salary. You will continue to receive money from your employer for six weeks.
You must tell your employer how long you are likely to be ill. You are allowed to be sick for three days without a certificate of incapacity for work. If you are ill for longer than three days, you must submit an A U.
Some employers want this certificate from the very first day. You can obtain the certificate from your doctor.
Any authorised doctor may issue a certificate of incapacity for work. You will receive the certificate after an examination.

You may be ill for longer than the period stated on the certificate. Then you will have to go back to the doctor. He will give you a new certificate.
You must also send the certificate to the health insurance fund. The health insurance fund must have the certificate no later than one week after it is issued. This is important for sickness benefit.
What is completely new is that doctors‘ surgeries send the A U to the health insurance fund themselves. This can be done electronically on the computer. Ask the doctor how this is done in the practice.
You may be privately insured. If so, you will also have to submit a certificate at work. You should then also inform your private health insurance company.

What do I need to bear in mind during a period of incapacity for work?

If you are ill, you must not go to work. You must not do anything that is bad for your recovery. For example, you must not work in the garden if you have a cold.
Going for a walk or to the supermarket is usually permitted.
Your doctor may have prescribed bed rest. In this case, you are not allowed to move around outside your home. If you have a part-time job, you are not allowed to work there either.
You are allowed to do things that are good for you. And that help you to heal.

What is sickness benefit?

Sometimes you cannot work for longer than six weeks due to the same illness. Then you will receive sickness benefit. Sickness benefit is paid by the statutory health insurance fund.

You do not have to apply for sickness benefit yourself. However, sometimes it can help to let the health insurance fund know early. For example, if you know quickly that you will not be able to work for longer than six weeks.

You will receive 78 weeks of sick pay. If you are ill for longer, your entitlement to sickness benefit ends. You should then register as unemployed.

If you are privately insured, you are not entitled to statutory sickness benefit. Most privately insured persons have therefore taken out a different insurance policy. This is called daily sickness allowance insurance.