Overview
- Bavarian premier Markus Söder said Germans should work longer over their lifetimes to ease pressure on pension finances as the population ages.
- He called for restructuring working time within weeks and years, citing Switzerland as a reference point and floating the use of Lebensarbeitszeitkonten.
- Söder proposed reintroducing qualifying days before wage continuation and requiring a doctor’s certificate by the third day of illness.
- He rejected five-day telephone sick notes introduced in 2023 and endorsed part-day sick leave for minor ailments modeled on Scandinavia.
- Recent data show average weekly hours have declined while employment has grown, and a federal commission is due to present pension reform proposals by mid-2026.