Study Buddy (Explorer): German firms spy on staff to see who is faking illness

[2] Private detective agency Lentz Group is experiencing a business surge in this niche market, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Marcus Lentz, the founder of the agency, revealed that the company receives around 1,200 commissions annually, around double the figure of a few years earlier.

[3] According to the federal statistics agency Destatis, German workers averaged 15.1 days of sick leave in 2023, up from 11.1 days in 2021. This high rate of absenteeism is estimated to have reduced Germany’s GDP by 0.8 per cent in 2023, contributing to a 0.3 per cent economic contraction.

[4] TK, one of Germany’s major health insurers, reported a record-high average of 14.13 sick days among its clients in the first nine months of 2024. According to data from the Organisation of Economic Development (OECD), Germans missed 6.8 per cent of their working hours on average in 2023 due to illness, worse than other countries such as France, Italy and Spain.

[5] One possible reason for the high sick leave rate is how convenient it is to obtain medical approval for leave. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Germany introduced a system that allowed employees with mild symptoms to acquire sick leave certificates over the phone. There has been misuse post-pandemic, with some feigning illnesses or faking symptoms during phone consultations to secure sick leave.

[6] In Germany, sick employees are entitled to a full salary from their employer for up to six weeks per year. After this period, health insurance institutions take over and pay sickness benefits. Faced with financial burdens, some companies turn to private detectives to investigate, viewing it as a worthwhile investment to address employee inefficiency.

[7] “More companies do not want to put up with it any more. If someone has 30, 40 or up to 100 sick days in a year, they become economically unattractive for the employer,” Lentz told AFP. The cost to hire such services was undisclosed.

[8] Lentz recalled cases where employees on long-term sick leave were found to be sorting out family business or renovating their homes. But gathering evidence does not always lead to dismissals. A bus driver in Italy was fired after he was caught playing the piano and singing at a bar during sick leave for anxiety. However, Italy’s Supreme Court ruled that the activities helped him and ordered his reinstatement.

[9] Experts caution that investigations do not address the causes of high sick leave rates, which have increased due to legitimate issues. These include an increase in respiratory illnesses, work stress and mental health challenges after the pandemic.

Source: South China Morning Post, January 11

1. What could happen to employees as a result of these investigations, according to paragraph 1?
A. They could lose their jobs.
B. They could get free long-term care for their illness.
C. They could get a promotion.
D. None of the above

2. What does the phrase “niche market” in paragraph 2 refer to?

3. Decide whether the following statements in paragraphs 3 and 4 are True, False or the information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each. (4 marks)
(i) The average number of sick leave days per year was higher in 2023 than in 2021 in Germany.
(ii) On average, German workers missed more than 10 per cent of their working hours in 2023 due to illness.
(iii) The rate of workers missing work in Spain was higher than in Italy in 2023.
(iv) Germany had a lower absenteeism rate than France in 2023.

4. Find a phrase in paragraph 5 that means “pretending to be unwell”.

5. What made it easier for people to get sick leave, according to paragraph 5?

6. In paragraph 6, … of sick leave is covered by an employer.
A. only three weeks
B. no more than six weeks
C. more than three months
D. up to half a year

7. How much does hiring a private detective to track an employee cost, according to paragraph 7?
A. €3,000
B. €4,000
C. €100,000
D. information not given

8. As mentioned in paragraph 8, what are two activities that employees on sick leave have engaged in? (2 marks)

9. In paragraph 9, what is a real reason more people are getting sick?
A. lack of sleep
B. poor diet
C. respiratory illnesses
D. longer working hours

1. A
2. investigating employees on long-term sick leave to find out if they are genuinely ill (accept all similar answers)
3. (i) T; (ii) F; (iii) NG; (iv) F
4. feigning illnesses
5. A system introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic allowed employees with mild symptoms to obtain sick leave certificates over the phone.
6. B
7. D
8. sorting out family business, renovating their home, going out to a bar, singing and playing the piano in public (any two)
9. C