Living in Germany: Streamlined sick notes, Merkel's tech challenge and balcony barbecues

During the pandemic, Germany moved to allow people to get a sick note, or Krankschreibung, over the phone from their doctor for respiratory diseases like Covid-19 or a cold. The measure was meant to try and ease the pressure on health facilities as well as limit the spread of infections during that time.

But at the end of March, this measure was dropped and, since then, people have once again had to go into their GP’s office (or arrange a video call if allowed by their doctor) to collect a sick note if they need time off work for illness. This can mean patients - who may be sick with an infection or something more debilitating - face longer waits while doctor's office staff have to spend time dealing with this system. 

But this could be about to change - and this time permanently. We reported this week on moves to bring the pandemic system back - and even to expand it so that it doesn’t just include respiratory illnesses.

Under the plans from the Health Ministry, people would be able to get a sick note over the phone regardless of their illness. The main condition for this would be that the patient is “known” to the practice. Although the draft law doesn’t go into details at this stage, it suggests that the person would already have to have been to that specific Hausarzt (GP) practice in the past. 

The proposal, which is being worked on at the moment, is encouraging because it would streamline a service for patients in Germany and help out health professionals - plus it reminds us that the pandemic did show that there are other ways of doing things. Now, do you think it’s possible to go back to being able to do your Anmeldung online, as was the case in some places during the pandemic? Germany, over to you. 

Tweet of the week

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has been in her well-earned retirement for a while now. But we’ll always remember how relatable she was while doing the job as illustrated in this tweet.  

Angela Merkel vs Zoom https://t.co/yoAVgsMP2Y pic.twitter.com/b9kVtxjcCT

— James Jackson (@derJamesJackson) June 13, 2023

Where is this?

Photo: DPA/Christoph Soeder

Today we are heading to the capital, Berlin where the Special Olympics are taking place right now. In this photo in front of Berlin’s famous Rotes Rathaus (red townhouse), the women’s basketball team from Uruguay can be seen warming up. The Games, which involve thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities, are the largest inclusive sports event in the world. It’s the first time that Germany has hosted, and they last until June 25th. 

Did you know?

Summer is well and truly in full swing so you may be desperate to get out on your balcony more often. Perhaps you’ve wondered if you can do some barbecuing, or Grillen - as it is called in Germany on your Balkon. The good news is that, yes, you can do this in many cases. But there are (unsurprisingly) some rules to follow. If you do want to toss some burgers or veggies on the grill then keep in mind that you can’t use open flames or any kind of BBQ that doesn’t come with a grill. 

Another thing to watch out for is that you really need to keep the smoke down. If it is too smoky you could annoy your neighbours (which, as we all know, you should always try to avoid in Deutschland), and in the worst-case scenario, you can face a fine under the Emissions Control Act. So an electric grill would be a better bet than a coal barbecue. 

Also, be wary about how often you grill. Certain states and districts have rules about how often you're allowed to barbecue outside. In Berlin for example, twice a month is considered reasonable. One last thing to note is that your rental contract may actually not allow barbecuing on the balcony. So check it out before you buy all the goods and get going.