Intro

The country’s sick leave policy is one of the most generous in the world.

Employees get full pay for the first six weeks they’re off, after that their health insurance policy will pay them a large portion of their salary for a further 18 months.

This means the culture around taking sick leave is different to other countries, and the average worker takes 20 days off sick each year.

We find out why, and look at the impact on business and the German economy.

Produced and presented by Hannah Mullane

(Image: German commuters on bikes at a junction. Credit: Getty Images)