Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, recently spoke in an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung about the high level of sick leave in Germany and attributed part of the blame for the current crisis to it.
He criticized the fact that it is too easy to report sick leave in Germany and called for stricter controls and reforms to reduce the high level of sick leave in German factories.
Källenius stressed that sick leave rates in Germany are disproportionately high compared to other countries. “Mercedes factories are the same all over the world, the health benefits are the same and the working environment is the same. Yet the sick leave rate in Germany is sometimes more than twice as high,” he said.
The Mercedes boss went on to say that the high level of sick leave is not just a problem for companies but for the entire German economy. “Anyone who takes sick leave without justification is acting in a way that does not show solidarity,” Källenius explained.
Källenius believes that the high sick leave rates in Germany are due to a regulation in place since the coronavirus pandemic, which allows sick leave to be taken by phone without having to visit a doctor. The Mercedes boss has therefore called for political measures to reform the system. “It shouldn’t be so easy to apply for sick leave,” he stressed. He proposed introducing stricter checks and controls to ensure that only those who are really sick are given sick leave.
Källenius’s statements have sparked widespread debate. While some support his demands for stricter controls, others see them as a threat to workers’ rights. Critics argue that stricter supervision and auditing could lead to a deterioration in the working atmosphere and that the causes of high sick leave rates are deeper problems, such as high workloads and stress at work.
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Source : AutoJosh