Continued payment of wages in the event of illness

If you fall ill (and are unable to work), you will continue to receive your salary. This is known as continued payment of wages (Lohnfortzahlung). You will receive this from your employer. So you get the salary that you would normally receive. You also get extra pay as you normally would for working on Sundays, public holidays or nights, for example. These amounts are set out in your employment contract or collective agreement. General wage increases or wage reductions will also be taken into account. You can receive continued payment of your wages for a maximum of 6 weeks.

If you are ill for longer, the health insurance company will pay you sick pay. Even if you have worked less than 4 weeks at a company, you will still receive sick pay.

Please note: your wages will only continue to be paid if you are employed for longer than 4 weeks.

If you are ill for a longer period of time, you will need a sick note or certificate of incapacity to work for the entire period.