Beware: 90-hour workweek is nothing; companies are now hiring detectives to check if you’re unwell during sick leaves

Are you planning to take sick leave from office? Beware, as the practice may invite scrutiny in Germany, where companies are hiring detectives to check whether their employees are actually unwell when they call in sick. 

There has been a significant surge in company requests to check up on employees suspected of calling in sick when they are fit to work, reported Agence France-Presse, citing private detective agency Lentz group. 

Germany's sick leave problem amid economic slump

Germany is witnessing a massive economic crisis, as the country bore the brunt of headwinds throughout 2024. Amid the concerns of a recession, several companies are forced to assess the impact of high sick leave rates on Europe's biggest economy.

“If someone has 30, 40 or sometimes up to 100 sick days in a year, then at some point they become economically unattractive for the employer,” AFP quoted Marcus Lentz in an interview.

From fertilisers to toy manufacturers, companies are now taking stringent steps to minimise the impact of absenteeism on their business.

Germany's economic woes

In 2023, Germans missed on an average of 6.8 per cent of their working hours in 2023 due to illnesses, which was worse than EU countries like France, Italy, Spain, etc, reported AFP, citing OECD data.

According to the German Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies, higher rates of absenteeism at work due to illness shaved 0.8 per cent off Germany's output in 2023. The trend forced the country's economy into a 0.3 per cent contraction. 

In India, business tycoons like NR Narayana Murthy have often said that long working hours are necessary for India's growth. Larsen & Toubro Chairman SN Subrahmanyam recently called for a ‘90-hour work week’ for his employees.

L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan on 90-hour work week

The L&T honcho stirred debate after saying he regrets not making employees work on Sundays. An undated video of Subrahmanyan went viral on social media recently. In the video, he can be seen asking his employees to work for 90 hours a week, and even on Sundays.

“If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be happier. Because I work on Sunday also,” he said, asking employees how long they can stare at their wives.

“What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife, how long can the wife stare at the husband? Come on, get to the office and start working, ” he said.