Sick leave has increased significantly in Germany in recent years, a trend that puts a strain on many companies in the stagnant German economy. But for private detective Marcus Lentz and his firm near Frankfurt, the development has led to an upswing. More and more companies are hiring him to investigate employees suspected of taking sick leave despite being able to work.
Currently, Lentz receives around 1,200 inquiries annually, double the number from a few years ago.
There are more and more companies that do not want to put up with this anymore, he says.
If someone has 30, 40 or sometimes up to 100 sick days a year, they eventually become economically unattractive to the employer.
"Twice as high"
Companies in entirely different industries are sounding the alarm about the impact of high absenteeism on Europe's largest economy. Some claim that it has become easier to cheat. Others believe that there are more complex reasons behind the rising numbers, including increased mental illness and greater pressure at work.
Everyone, however, agrees that the development is a burden for Germany at a time when the economy is doing poorly.
The effect is significant and definitely affects economic activity, says Claus Michelsen at VFA, a German association of research-based pharmaceutical companies.
According to the organization, the increased absenteeism led to a 0.8 percent reduction in production in Germany in 2023.
Across Germany, employees were on average absent due to illness for 15.1 days in 2023, an increase from 11.1 days two years earlier, according to the Federal Statistical Office Destatis.
Absenteeism in Germany is sometimes twice as high as in other European countries, said Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius last year.
"They should be out"
According to private detective Marcus Lentz, there are many cases where people pretend to be sick for an extended period and instead work on the side. He tells of a person who helped out at his wife's company while officially being on sick leave. Others have taken long-term sick leave to renovate their properties.
It can be expensive to hire a detective, but according to Lentz, companies are trying to get rid of unproductive employees in a time of growing economic problems.
They say that those who are often sick do not earn any money for us – they should be out, he says.
