How long pay continues in case of illness
Six weeks of pay, then sick pay. The deadlines sound simple until the same illness occurs a second time.
Your entries
If someone did start the working day, the period begins the following day.
Whether two illnesses are the same is judged by the doctor, not by this calculator.
Result
The six weeks are 42 **calendar days**, not 42 working days. Weekends and public holidays count. An incapacity starting on a Monday ends after six weeks on a Sunday.
The entitlement only exists after four weeks of uninterrupted employment (section 3 (3) EFZG). Anyone falling ill before that receives sickness benefit from the insurer.
A new, unrelated illness triggers its own entitlement of six weeks, including immediately afterwards. Where two illnesses occur at the same time, there is still only one period.
Calculation
- Start 11.01.2027 + 41 days = end 21.02.2027 (42 calendar days)
- Result: Entitlement to six weeks of continued pay
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How it is calculated
The calculator covers the basic statutory rules. Collective agreements, works agreements and employment contracts may contain more favourable arrangements, and for a specific case it is better to ask someone with a licence to practise.
Six weeks, counted in calendar days
Under section 3(1) EFZG, in case of incapacity for work through no fault of the employee, the business continues to pay the remuneration for up to six weeks, that is 42 calendar days. Counting starts from the first day of incapacity; if the illness begins in the middle of a working day, the period starts the following day.
The entitlement arises only after four weeks of uninterrupted employment (section 3(3) EFZG). Anyone falling ill before that receives sick pay from the health insurer.
What is paid is the remuneration that would have accrued without the incapacity (section 4(1) EFZG), including premiums for work that would actually have arisen. Overtime pay is left out.
The same illness a second time
Anyone who becomes unfit for work again because of the same illness does not automatically get another six weeks. Under section 3(1) sentence 2 EFZG, a fresh entitlement arises only if one of two conditions is met:
There was no incapacity for work due to this illness for six months, counted from the end of the last one. Or twelve months have passed since the start of the first incapacity due to this illness.
A new, unrelated illness, by contrast, triggers its own entitlement of six weeks, even immediately afterwards. If two illnesses occur at the same time, there is still only one period.
After that: sick pay
After the six weeks, the statutory health insurer pays sick pay: 70 percent of gross pay, at most 90 percent of net pay, capped by the contribution assessment ceiling. Contributions to pension, unemployment and long-term care insurance are still deducted from it.
For the same illness, the entitlement runs for up to 78 weeks within three years, including the six weeks of continued pay.
To read and take along
- Bridge days and what they cost in leave
- Calculating the working days in a period
- Maternity protection: the start and end of the protection period
- Overtime calculator
- Calculating leave entitlement
- Break calculator
- Calculating working time, day by day and for the week
- Calculating the hourly rate from a monthly salary
- How many hours a mini-job allows
- Tax-free premiums for night, Sunday and public holiday work
- Maximum working time and the balancing period
- Remaining leave and payment in lieu on departure
- Leave when the number of working days changes
Frequently asked questions
What we get asked about this most often.
Question not answered here? Every step is explained in the help centre.
Send us a messageWhen does the six-week period start?
On the first day of incapacity for work. For anyone who still starts work on a day and then leaves, the period starts the following day, because the full pay is due for the part-day anyway.
Do weekends and public holidays count?
Yes. The six weeks are 42 calendar days, not 42 working days. An incapacity starting on a Monday ends six weeks later on the Sunday.
What applies to a follow-on illness?
A new, unrelated illness triggers its own entitlement, even immediately afterwards. For the same illness, a fresh entitlement only arises once there has been no incapacity due to it for six months, or twelve months have passed since the first incapacity.
Do I have to submit a sick note?
The incapacity has to be reported without delay. Proof is due from the fourth calendar day, but the business may require it from the first day (section 5 EFZG). Since 2023, people with statutory health insurance have their certificate reported electronically, and the business retrieves it from the insurer.
Is leave counted if I fall ill during my holiday?
No. Certified days of illness during leave are not counted against the annual leave under section 9 BUrlG. A medical certificate is required; the days are credited back to the leave account but do not extend the holiday by themselves.
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