Overview
- Health Minister Carsten Linnemann told the Bundestag on Wednesday, September 23 that the government will not seek another extension of the pandemic-era increase, making a return to 10 paid children’s sick days per parent likely from 2027.
- The temporary entitlement rose after COVID‑19 to 15 days per parent (30 for single parents) and was legislatively kept through 2026; without new law the rule will expire at the end of 2026 and revert to pre‑pandemic levels.
- Krankenkassen data show average take‑up is well below the cap — roughly two to 2.5 days per claim and around 60 days per 100 eligible people in 2025 — but critics warn averages hide concentrated burdens on single parents and families with chronically ill children.
- The rollback is tied to broader government plans to tighten sick‑leave procedures, such as requiring doctor certificates from day one and ending telephone notes, which doctors’ groups say could drive millions of extra practice visits and strain outpatient care.
- Opposition parties and some state ministers have criticised the move as unfair to families and women, while employer associations welcome it as part of the Merz cabinet’s push to reduce overall absenteeism; Linnemann’s position still needs to be translated into legislation.