Sick note to your employer: the electronic certificate and your obligations

If you are ill, you must inform your employer without delay. Since the introduction of the electronic incapacity certificate (eAU), the employer retrieves the sick note from the health insurer itself, so you usually no longer have to submit the 'yellow certificate' yourself. You still have to report your absence.

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You must report the incapacity and its expected duration without delay. From the fourth day of illness a medical assessment is required, but the employer can also demand it earlier (§ 5 EFZG).

For those with statutory health insurance, proof runs via the eAU: the practice reports the sick note to the insurer, and the employer retrieves it. You then do not have to hand over the certificate yourself.

What you should do now

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1. Report immediately
Inform the employer before the start of work about the illness and the expected duration, by phone, email or as agreed at the workplace.
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2. See a doctor
At the latest from the fourth day (or earlier if the employer demands it or the contract provides for it) you need a medical assessment.
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3. Ensure the eAU
For those with statutory insurance, the practice reports the incapacity electronically. If in doubt, ask whether everything was transmitted; privately insured people submit the certificate themselves.
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4. Document in case of dispute
If the employer considers the sick note to be a pretext, document the course of events and doctor contact. Continued pay may not be refused without grounds.

How to spot the scam

The employer demands that you bring the 'yellow' certificate yourself despite the eAU, even though you have statutory insurance.
Continued pay is refused without concrete evidence.
You do not report at all and simply fail to show up.

Frequently asked questions

From when do I need a certificate?

At the latest from the fourth day of illness (§ 5 EFZG). However, the employer can demand the medical assessment even earlier, even from the first day, or provide for this in the contract.

Do I have to submit the sick note myself?

For those with statutory insurance, usually not: via the eAU the employer retrieves the certificate from the health insurer. However, you still have to report that you are ill yourself.

May the employer refuse continued pay?

Only in cases of justified doubt about the incapacity, and not simply at will. In a dispute, a medical expert opinion (MD) can be obtained. A proper sick note protects your entitlement.

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General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.