The Average German on Sick Leave and Their Weird Home Remedies

Michael Müller, an Average German, is off work sick. So, how DO Germans nurse colds and the flu? How much sick leave do they get from their employers? And who pays for a visit to the doctor? Euromaxx reporter Clare Trelawny-Gower, who acts as Michael's invisible observer, finds out the answers.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:23 Showing up sick at work
01:00 Paid sick leave
01:20 At the pharmacy
01:59 German home remedies
02:50 Going to the doctor
03:50 Getting back to work
#Germans #AverageGerman #SickLeave
--------------------------------------------
CREDITS
Report: Clare Trelawny-Gower
Camera: Neven Hillebrands
Edit: Clare Trelawny-Gower
Supervising Editor: Mirja Viehweger
Michael Müller: Mischa Wanker
Doctor: Simone Lauenstein
--------------------------------------------
SPECIAL THANKS
Sophien Apotheke in Berlin-Mitte
www.sophienapotheke-berlin.de/
--------------------------------------------
LIST OF REFERENCES
This document lists the most important facts in our KZbin video:
docs.google.com/document/d/1r...
--------------------------------------------
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DW Euromaxx brings you engaging insights into European cultures and lifestyles.

[@marianmannocriollo]

As a Spaniard who lived in Germany for four years I went to work with a fever and when my boss found out through a colleague she immediately sent me home and gave me a long talk of how irresponsible of me that was… such a different experience to what would’ve happened if I was in Spain. I always tell this story and my fellow Spaniards listen in shock 😂😂

[@jps30]

I'm not a man who's prone to cursing, but one word keeps coming to mind whenever I compare America's work culture and health care to anywhere else.

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

American gangster capitalism thrives on degrading and exploiting working people. We need to come up with a better way of organizing our economy and society.

[@starventure]

What employer in the US are you basing your opinion on? Just want to check to see if you are full of sh-t or not.

[@idonuttylikezenorship4547]

"The Bolshevik leaders here, most of whom are Jews and 90 percent of whom are returned exiles, care little for Russia or any other country but are internationalists and they are trying to start a worldwide social revolution" (see David R. Francis', " Russia from the American Embassy, April, 1916-November, 1918 "

[@Locomaid]

@@idonuttylikezenorship4547What is your point?

[@katharina...]

What word is that? Bollix? 😁

[@selmario]

You forgot one of the most important home remedies: steaming with camomile tea, for me it's the only thing that helps!

[@tygattyche2545]

Warm feet, fresh air, a lot of drinking (I prefer carbonated water) and a cozy bed. That's what I go for after catching a cold. Oh, and chicken soup, of course.

[@dieseldragon6756]

I come from a place that's somewhat worse than Germany 🇬🇧 so the _„Home remedy“_ I find myself relying upon most often is going out for a run through as much dense Gorse as I can find. 🩸🌵🏃💨👍 It's not exactly medically recommended, but I find that coming home with my arms absolutely covered in Gorse brashings results in so much pain stimulus all over I immediately forget whichever ailment it was that was bothering me in the first place. 👍 And with me being the only person taking that approach, I'm fairly confident Gorse fields are pretty low on HM Govt's list of _„Things that should be free which we're going to put private sector barriers in front of so our ,donors' can steal money out of the pockets of the public over and over again“_ 🏥🇬🇧💸

[@markarca6360]

These are the common remedies for colds, coughs and their symptoms, here in the Philippines: Steam inhalation for stuffy nose Paracetamol orally for headache Vicks Vaporub Calamansi juice Vitex negundo (Lagundi) for coughs

[@bazoo513]

Over here in Croatia, chamomile tea is drank, and _mint_ tea is for steaming/inhalation.

[@heikeschikschneit1385]

ProTip: only buy medicines at the pharmacy. Herbal teas, cough drops etc. are cheaper in the supermarket

[@dweuromaxx]

Thank you for the tip ;)

[@btudrus]

"herbal teas" won't help you with cold anyway, only make it worse....

[@inesjones5361]

I live in the US, but am originally from Germany. Last week I was sent to the ER by A doctor I just saw. While I was still in the hospital I received an email about the estimated cost of the visit. Are you....kidding me!!!!

[@frednitney5831]

I hope you recover soon. If not, I hope you can get back to Germany for treatment!

[@TheHappyCoder]

Watch Medcram and become a doctor - the only way to avoid huge bills in the US

[@BootyCollins-gf5er]

Dont say it came as a surprise. Speedy recovery nevertheless

[@rachelk2457]

Normally in some states they are not allowed to show you the bill until after treatment. I have an HMO health insurance and their prices are reasonable in network 😊

[@alevez2004]

Are you concerned because they sent you the costs while you were still at the hospital or because they charged you at all?

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

The "stay home" advice applies everywhere, but very few workplaces in the US encourage this. It's also one of the hidden benefits of working from home . . . you're co-workers can't spread their infections to you! 😷

[@starventure]

Uh, what? US employers are paranoid of viruses running rampant in an office environment. They WANT you to stay at home with the only caveat being the doctors note and virus test in case it is Covid. Stop spreading lies.

[@noober83]

I find that in Italy the opposite is actually quite common. In some workplaces employers and even colleagues don't see it too well if you call sick.

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

@@noober83 I'm afraid that these Italians you refer to do not understand how viruses are transmitted, even after the nightmare of COVID-19.

[@rachelk2457]

Yes, I work from home mostly and when I got COVID bad last fall, I only took off days where I was super sick and needed extra rest. But the other days, I just worked as normal but I couldn't do my in person work activities as my job is 15% in person duties.😊

[@bloodlove93]

unless you live with them too...that'd be weird

[@SeaMonkey137]

In the USA you are expected to go to work even if you are sick. Last year I had a cold and did a video visit with my doctor and he told me to come in for a drive-by strep swab. I got a bill for $300 for that visit even though I pay over $600/month for health insurance.

[@kitty-vk8ic]

What!? That’s crazy

[@quasimodo8215]

Because US is so great.... ;)

[@slouberiee]

In Czechia it's similar to Germany... being sent home when being sick, sick days, note from the doctor etc... drinking herbal teas, garlic, onions... also: rinsing throat with salted water, eating kiwi and citrus fruits, eating meat broths...

[@dweuromaxx]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing :)

[@jennyh4025]

The salt water for the throat and also for the nose are typical for Germany as well. Just like eating fruit (not just vitamin c rich fruit, but all kinds of fruit. My doctor always says as colorful as possible).

[@carolmorante4476]

It is so weird that here in Peru the first thing doctors tell you to stop eating is citrics. Instead of ibuprofen, use paracetamol. It is better for your stomach.

[@jennyh4025]

@@carolmorante4476 one is bad for the stomach, the other for other intestines. And some people react better to ibuprofen than paracetamol (it doesn’t help any with pain for me). Everyone should take what’s best for them. Just don’t use either in too high a dosage or too long. And the citrus fruit is just for viral infections like colds.

[@cherylcarlson3315]

As RN in US healthcare was expected to work sick, injured, recovering from surgery. Doctor notes were required but not justification for paid time off so at evaluation time count as unexcused absence. Actually got counseling for inappropriate optics of wearing mask while working with pneumonia. If go to walk in clinic may be told to go to Emergency for diagnostic test and after 14 hrs be sent home much sicker. Average dose of ibuprofen in US is 800mg or 1000 mg Tylenol. Zpac is given for viral illnesses on second day. Is it any wonder Americans have shorter lives with more debt, depression,cancer, autoimmune disease?

[@MaryJane-bk9vj]

Thank you so much for your contribute. It is so important to say it loud and clear, which are the reasons for poverty and illness in retirement. In Germany we have an imagination, that the averege American spends his retirement in Florida golfing.

[@jennyh4025]

That’s so horrible! And it’s 800-1000 mg/day right? Because you’re not supposed to take more than 1200 mg per day (without doctors orders and something to protect your stomach) in Germany. Anything higher than 400 mg per pill actually needs a prescription here.

[@cherylcarlson3315]

​@@jennyh4025oh no,400-800mg every 4-6hrs respectively. Naproxen every 12 hrs is long term solutions. MD s in US don't like to deal with less than catastrophic so they create it.

[@jennyh4025]

@@cherylcarlson3315 wow, here it’s 400 mg every eight hours. Or more with prescription, but only as a short term solution. I got a prescription for 600 mg three times a day + something to protect my stomach when I broke a bone that was jarred pretty much every I moved. I only took one before going to sleep because the pain was bearable and I wanted to feel it some to keep the bone as immobile (is that the correct word?) as possible, but could sleep with the pain.

[@jdvannoy99]

Hah, holding a cross as he goes by was good. These Average German videos are always both informative and funny.

[@dweuromaxx]

Thank you! :) We're happy you enjoy

[@torreyance2468]

in my country you get to do all of that and pay out of pocket for that experience. Then go immediately back to work. how cool is that.

[@HmmM-wn1dx]

Well, seeing my managers approach to sick leave I went to work sick. After coughing all day they were convinced I was not well but still happy for me to stay and work. As a result I was even more sick next day and had to take more sick leave. And so my managers, both got seriously ill following week. Was I sad ? No! I was laying in my bed with satisfaction 👹

[@mick-berry5331]

Here in Austria we do exactly as it is done in Germany.

[@isana788]

that doesnt count, austria is germany.

[@mick-berry5331]

@@isana788 If you tell an Austrian he is german, he will get very angry! Where did you get that opinion? There are a lot of legal and other, cultural, differences...

[@Salige150]

If you are the first time a canabis in austria publicly smoking,you will learn the difference quickly😂

[@jannetteberends8730]

It’s more or less the same in the Netherlands. But you don’t have to go to the doctor when you’re more than three days sick. You don’t have to go to the doctor at all.

[@nebelland8355]

How do employers know that people are really sick then? And how long can you be on sick leave without seeing a doctor?

[@Edda-Online]

Hi neighbourg, 😃 I didn’t know you didn’t have to see a doctor at all. But I have heard Germans take more than twice as much medication than Netherlanders. And it doesn’t seem to me Germans are any healthier. Greetings from Aken

[@jmsa2760]

@@nebelland8355 (speaking as a non-German and non-Dutch living in NL and working in DE - cool 😁): There is by and large a degree of trust. The employer will believe you are not faking it. Then there is the sharing of information between the employer's doctor (the company doctor, which may just be a GP assigned to different companies) and your own GP (everyone must be registered with one when living in NL). If there is a need, the company doctor will just ask about it to the private one (or the other way around, not sure). If it becomes longer, than communication will be more active.

[@jmsa2760]

@@Edda-Online I'm skeptical abut both approaches. Germans trust too much homemade medicine which have very little value (no studies indicate that any of these actual work as medicine, at most only as support for your body). Dutch are slapped with the standard "take Paracetamol" almost no matter what they tell the doctor. Regarding health in general, being healthy is not so much related with healthcare but more with how healthy you are in general. And in any case, sick leave is a bad indicator. Since in NL you don't need a doctor's notice, you just stay home until you feel better. In DE, if you get a doctor's notice, you cannot go to work in the period stated, even if you feel better (if a doctor's notice states 5 days at home and you feel better one day later, you still have to complete the 5 days). I'd say that healthcare is better in Germany than NL but health isn't. This may have to do with higher obesity in Germany (some 19% vs 15% in NL) and other healthier lifestyle choices (e.g. more use of bikes and less of cars). Of course, just personal opinion.

[@Edda-Online]

@@jmsa2760 Well, some household remedies work, some don’t, and some even make it worse. And of course they are appropriate only for minor health issues like a cold, a blister from walking etc things you’re sure you don’t need a doctor. There aren’t any scientific studies if such remedies work, because nobody will spend money on studies that in most cases would diminish selling products. So, if there aren’t any studies, it doesn’t say they don’t work. In my - of course subjective - experience fighting colds etc with homemade remedies especially in early stage prevents me from having to take „real“ medicine like antibiotics. And it doesn’t weaken my immune system. On the other hand it seems to me, that people who take „real“ medicine immediately (including Paracetamol) are sick much more often. I am not sure if I have understood you right: but in Germany the employer will never ever get information from the doctor except - what the employee tells him. If questioned the employee is allowed to lie. - the employer has to take special measures to protect the employees health e.g. in case of pregnancy or allergies against substances found in some work processes. (Even in those cases a direct communication between the doctor and the employer is the exception.) Anything else, agreed 😊

[@alexjensen7622]

In my country ( 🇺🇸 ) we don't have mandatory paid sick leave or comprehensive and affordable medical care. I just broke my ankle the other week and my employer fired me for it. Hopefully I can get back to some kind of work, injury or not, before my bills start piling up too badly. I'm very seriously considering moving to the EU, specifically Germany. This video and ones like it give me hope. (Edited for clarity)

[@starventure]

Strange. I live in the same country as you, and have paid sick leave (14 days a year) and good medical coverage. Something isn't quite right with what you are saying. Either you are leaving an important detail out or your circumstances are not quite what they seem.

[@alexjensen7622]

@@starventure I'm sorry, I'll speak plainly since you for some reason didn't understand. I edited my initial comment to make the text plainer, but the only changes I made were to highlight the lack of *mandated* sick leave and affordable health coverage. Employers in the United Statss are not forced to provide paid sick leave, nor holiday pay, nor medical insurance, nor, in my state, to pay more than $7.25 an hour, though my job that I was fired from pays more than that at least. I don't have paid medical leave at my job and they won't let me access my PTO while I'm out, even if I were still employed there. If your employer is kind enough to provide you any of those things, you're lucky.

[@sandraaviles-wilkes7036]

⁠@@starventureyou sound like you GOT LUCKY. Most people DO NOT GET 14 days sick leave, they get 3 if you’re lucky enough. I don’t know what you do for a living, but if what you are saying is true about your health insurance (because almost ALL of them SUCK) consider yourself BLESSED buddy.

[@dweuromaxx]

Sorry to hear that :(

[@starventure]

@@sandraaviles-wilkes7036 I have one of the typical employer offered plans, no different than you or anyone else. I do pay a higher premium for one of the better ones, but that is it. Do not lie and tell everyone here that the good plans are not offered here in the US, because every year we get a choice on which plan to renew under and there are many to choose from. You can go under the cheapskate ones, but your deductible will be high as will the cost of prescriptions. I chose to pay the higher monthly rate, but there is nothing abnormal or "lucky" about that, so it sounds to me more like you are a skinflint when it comes to insurance, or you have a lousy employer and are flat out dumb for continuing to work for them.

[@FromTheFens219]

I'm currently feeling sorry for myself with a cold, and this video made me smile 😁

[@TheHappyCoder]

There is no cure for the cold as doctors say, but I can see how these German remedies can help relieving some of the symptoms to get the sick day experience better. So no need to roll your eyes, herbs do help.

[@jennyh4025]

Some medication was actually build as replica/stable versions of herbal medicine. Aspirin is just the stable version of an acid found in Salix trees (willows).

[@stacialid1663]

Just uncompromised immunity this is helping

[@annakarenina3333]

can I just say I have been watching this series from the beginning and the shots, edit.. has gotten so good. whoever planned /filmed / edited these needs a raise haha

[@dweuromaxx]

😅😅😅 Thank you!! We'll pass it along

[@mmppbb77]

Oh, glad to see Michael Müller again ! 😄 Love these videos, informative with humor. ♥ Kept on coming on the channel every weeks to see if there was a new video from this series... really was starting to think we'd never see him and the lovely Clare again. 😥 Please, keep making this type of content !

[@dieseldragon6756]

Hr. Müller is certainly a *very* handsome gentleman, isn't he?... 💯😍👍 If I didn't live in a country where being 🏳‍🌈 is only „OK“ if you were born after the year 2000, I could have the same income and opportunities, and be just as attractive as (And be viewed attractive by) folk like him, too... 🏳‍🌈🌻🇬🇧 *=* 🏚😢

[@MarzipanProductions]

Retired Canadian Health and Safety Officer here. Canada has a similar national health service to Germany. The big difference is that Canadian workers may not have paid sick days if they are not union members. Even then workers can get one day a month and may carry unused days over year's end. I always would encourage sick employees to go home so as not to make others sick. The problem was that employers would pay out unused sick days at the end of the year. Those members who were financially strapped would still work sick.

[@MelanieFromCanada]

Not to mention the growing culture of going to work anyway. I assume that attitude is a direct influence of the US

[@Betty1975]

It’s not the same system. The sick leave days in Germany are unlimited so you do not get your “unused” sick day allowance at the end of the year, it doesn’t work like that. If you are sick, you are sick regardless if it’s one day or 3 months, you still get your full 25-35 holidays.

[@cdclydesdale]

The ending was so good :-)

[@ALiBaigVlogger]

I have spent three years in germany but never got a fever or cold

[@JM-hb2xf]

In Mexico it is expected that you work even if you are sick.

[@nebelland8355]

In Germany it is mixed. A lot of people go to work with „only a cold“, but I really hate it. Usually it means they come to work sick, infect everybody else and stay home the next day. And I get sick 🙄

[@starventure]

That used to be the case in the US, but now it is more often that they want you to stay home until better so you don't spread it in the workplace.

[@user-kw4yy8iy3w]

that's sick!!

Same in Spain, but going to work when mildly sick is still the norm, even if it contagious.

[@windsorlewis3344]

I’m familiar with quark wrapped in cabbage to reduce swelling. It was also given to me after a sunburn.

[@dweuromaxx]

Quark wraps have gone international!

[@cz2301]

Ha, love this series!

[@aston-s]

We had someone come into my office this week clearly unwell, not keeping distance from people. Yeah. At least two more people have taken time to work from home since

[@claregower1454]

Get well soon, Herr Müller. We need a wedding episode 👰

[@da1stamericus]

Me who didnt take a sixk day last year, but soent two years on sick leave due to corona. I love these. Greetings neighbor.

[@angeldetierra3855]

--- Clare looks very healthy! ♥♥♥♥♥

[@nebelland8355]

Home remedies can be bought in the drugstore, too.

[@jackperl7040]

Another great episode -- although I'm weirded out that Clare is apparently not human. Also, is it odd that I've never heard of quark before? (I know about the elementary particle, but wasn't aware of the dairy product.)

[@katsmith3369]

It's a form of curd cheese. When applied out of the fridge it's very cooling. I'm more familiar with using it against inflammations and post-operative care. My sister had knee-surgery last summer and her physio told her to use it against the swelling. It made some headlines in US media after Lindsey Vonn famously used it on her shin after an injury.

[@sisuguillam5109]

Quark is life. Wether it's as food or as a remedy.

[@Salige150]

But with fever,he does not use it to take vinegar-hot vinegops

[@ak5659]

Vitamin C, Zinc, Selenium. Peppermint tea. Chicken broth. Hot V8 juice with lime, garlic and horseradish. Ibuprofen, Tylenol, pseudoephedrine, and guaifenesin.

[@katharina...]

In Poland, we also use onion, but differently. We slice it, mix it with honey, put the whole thing on a radiator (in a jar or a bowl) and let it brew. A couple of days later, we use the onion juice (sounds disgusting but it's actually surprisingly delicious) as a cough syrup.

[@stricknitt0184]

Some people do that to. On ears it's directory for an inflammation of the middle ear, not a cold

[@katharina...]

@@stricknitt0184 Great 👍 For inner ear infections, we use leaves from a rose geranium plant. I frequently had ear aches as a child, and these worked better for me than any painkillers.

[@stricknitt0184]

@@katharina... since this flower is not native here it' not used in that way. But in aromatherapie it is a well known oil. Not an expert, so I am not shure for what in particular it's used other than the nice scent.

[@katharina...]

@@stricknitt0184 We grow them indoors, as potted plants. They are very popular in Poland. Geranium oil has anti-inflammatory properties, so we just pick a leaf, rub it a bit between fingers to release the oils, and put the leaf in the ear canal for a few hours. The pain relief comes so quickly.

[@stricknitt0184]

@@katharina... I missen that Poland🙈. Of course in Germany too. Outdoors in summer and indoors depends how motivated people are.😅 But still, never heard of people using them as medicine here in Germany

[@emilinhocorneta]

The work culture is indeed very positive and encourages only showing up if fully healthy. Kudos! However, this was a flu case. It would be very interesting to see what happens if one needs a specialist or needs to go to the hospital, only to have an appointment in 3 weeks (the former) or to be turned down because "waiting times are too long". Or if the sick person goes (by mistake) to a doctor who only takes in private (not public) insurance. Then it would be a little less fun than this sketch! :)

[@citizaniac149]

I didn't know that heavy metal music helps with a cold! Now learned something! 😅

[@user-ov4wr5yu4r]

No, that was how it felt inside his head.

[@maximamuster2013]

20 days? I think I had 20 days the past 15 years in total!

[@bazoo513]

Croatia here - very similar to Germany, down to the length of sick leave paid for by the employer vs. health insurance. I _think_ we spend less than 20 days a year of sick leave, but I don't have any data - just an impression from my workplace. Home remedies are similar, too, but each country (and region within country) has its own quirks (e.g. my mother used to believe that warm milk with caramelized sugar was a sure bet when it comes to cough - I _hated_ it 😀). But, hey, even many prescription medicines work mostly by placebo effect, anyway.

[@alf699]

Als ein Deutscher der seit 40 Jahre in Australien lebt...our Healthcare in Australia comes close but doesn't quite match Germany's system. Here it costs you around AUS $60,- for a visit to the Doctor (some but not all will take "Bulk Billing). If there are additional costs for the visit, they are usually covered by Medicare. You normally have to provide a medical certificate to your employer if you had more then 2 days of work. You also don't get 6 weeks but 4 weeks of paid sick leave per year.

[@MaryJane-bk9vj]

At my workplace in Germany everyone comes to work when sick - and easily to imagine - it takes only few days colleagues are ill and so on and on - goes round and round🤮🤧🤒.😱

[@theduchessofspring2395]

Chicken Noodle Soup has been scientific tested/proven to the body good when you have a cold or flu. It's also easy on the stomach when you've been sick and don't have much of an appetite.

[@evergreenvideos5166]

In India we go to chemist store directly and tell him our health complaints, he give us medicines and we save doctors fee but in less serious health problems only.

[@word6344]

CLARE LORE CLARE LORE She's not human and only the audience can see her. Is there some kind of German folklore spirit that she might be a modern version of?

[@hape3862]

Yes, Heinzelmännchen (engl. brownies). They come at night and do your work. But don't try to watch them, or they'll never come back.

[@nettcologne9186]

Well, maybe the "Schutzengel" (guardian angel), although here she only observes, but the Schutzengel actively intervenes when danger threatens.

[@word6344]

@@nettcologne9186 He hasn't been in danger yet...maybe if a crime episode happens she'll intervene.

[@nettcologne9186]

@@word6344 :-)

[@mch4735]

@@word6344 she helped with the cup when Michael could not reach it/.

[@santiagogonzalezbenjumea9880]

In Colombia South America. 1. Is expected for you to go to work even if you have the flu or a cold. Unfortunately no one uses face masks, so eventually everyone ends ups sick.😢 2. If is too strong, you must inform your boss you will be leaving or not attending to work, but you must provide a sick note 3. The doctor decides whether you need or not medical leave. If so, just the 2 first days are paid in full, the third one is 66.67% of your salary 4. Most colombians use home remedies but also over tue counter medicine. Some people still believe antibiotics helps for s cold or the flu 😢

[@user-ur8ic9vd4x]

Cold quark or just cool water on a towel works miracles when you want to bring a fever down. It 's physics - heat exchanger principle. It is important though only to use it when the skin is warm. When you are like an icicle and still have a fever it won't work of course.

[@dweuromaxx]

Physics for the win!

[@guysimpson8300]

As an American, I am still amazed by German health insurance. I still go very rarely to the doctor. Also I work when I'm sick. Only when I have the flu or covid do I stay home from work. Germany has been good to me. My health is way better than it was in the USA.

[@bafian]

three years in germany havent gone to the doctor once

[@stellarsjay1773]

My workmates in Canada appreciated it when you stayed home with a cold. Even when you’ve mostly recovered, a mask is courteous.

[@liekie]

Being dutch in Germany I really feel ashamed going to the doctor's when having a cold and not being able to work. In the Netherlands a doctor cannot do anyting for you when you just have a cold. When you have a cold you just go to work, unless you really can't work. At my previous job here in Germany I had to get a sick note at the first day of sickness. This practise of sick notes takes up a lot of time doctors actually should be spending on patients who are really ill. Not to mention the fact you are endangering the patients with a weak immune system while waiting for the doctor to see you, just because you have a cold and need a sick note.

[@johndavis8669]

1:17 In the United States. Pharmacies can be put in supermarkets.

[@fr2ncm9]

I also had to have two teeth pulled (it's cheaper than a root canal). The first one cost me 500 dollars out of pocket which I've almost paid off. The second, with my insurance, cost me over 600 dollars.

[@bigbarry8343]

I think that the myth of "German efficiency" is greatly overblown. As is the punctuality of the German trains.

[@dweuromaxx]

Ah, the classic DB irony 😅

[@arlenehutchinson9259]

You forgot to mention that there is a pharmacy every 100 meters 😅😅😅 I WAS SHOCKED 😲 had to ask very quietly..."Do Germans get sick often 🤔 🤷🏾‍♀️❓❓❓ At which point a lovely lady explained the history of the pharmacy. Which I think you should do next 😅

[@mohammedalshareif6953]

Coming to work despite being sick is a sign of hard work & responsibility. In Germany coming to work sick means that you are irresponsible & don't care about your coworkers

[@pqrstsma2011]

i follow this channel, and a couple others that talk about Germany; i do find it strange that you cannot get even basic OTC meds in a regular supermarket, only in a pharmacy.... what about condoms and tampons and related stuff, do you need to go to a pharmacy for those as well?

[@Mirabellism]

No! 😂

[@dweuromaxx]

You can get tampons and condoms in the supermarkets. But not things like painkillers and allergy meds. For that you need your trusty apotheke ;)

[@cherylcarlson3315]

Well,this RN of 39 yrs became disabled with triple sero negative Myasthenia gravis and thankfully had enough savings to live on $600/mo for the 3yrs it took to get disability. I can't drive farther than 50 mi for the fatigue and blurred vision. Because of American systems basically makes me town bound. Would have loved to retire later and be active..dreams

[@Frohds14]

What's with Erkältungsbad, Grain pillows, hot water bottles, potato wraps, JHP oil, sage tea with honey and arnica globules that seem to help against everything?

[@nebelland8355]

And Schwitzbäder…..my mom did all this with us, when we were little. Being sick was absolutely no fun 😎😂

[@lobstermash]

Eucalyptus grease to rub on the chest? You don't have it??!!

[@Salige150]

And do not forget me the holy schnapps,which helps internally and if it must be external🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@edsontransports9400]

What are the odds, I was sick since last week, though it isn't nearly as bad now.

[@lyamorian767]

You might have to wait a little while for the doctor. 😂😂 yeah, that's a way to put it.

[@Baschn66]

They forgot to mention hot pigs fat (Schweineschmalz) on the chest and back for bronchitis. My mother and grandmother used to put it on me with a Wickel (scarf) to sweat out the disease. Works, after a day you feel better.

[@margaretbrand9274]

Wash your hands often with soap and hot water and don't touch your face out and about.If you are ill stay home.Make chicken soup with vegetables.Avoid direct contact with public door knobs.

[@test40323]

Interesting! We Canadians have a shortage of primary care physicians. What is healthcare like in Germany? Are health insurance private or public?

[@hape3862]

We also have a shortage of GPs. But it is not yet critical. Healthcare in Germany is first class. Waiting times are the second best in the world, together with the Netherlands and only just behind Switzerland (by a small margin). Health insurance is mandatory, but the insurance companies are free, self-governing enterprises, over a hundred of them are non-profit, and there are also private, for-profit insurance companies, just like in the US. We don't pay for the statutory healthcare system with our taxes, but through contributions, which are always 14.6% of our income, but never more than €816 (even for millionaires!), half of which is paid by the employer. Low/no income = low/no contributions, yet full coverage! (The state pays for the unemployed and refugees.) Spouses and children (up to the age of 27) without their own income are covered free of charge by the main earner's insurance. Basic dental care (no fancy veneers etc.), basic glasses (no fancy frames), mental health, rehab, cures and even some -voodoo- sorry alternative healing methods like Homeopathy, Acupuncture or chiropractic treatments are covered as well.

[@test40323]

@@hape3862 , wow. this was a comprehensive reply. thank you very much. there are much to learn, I'll look into more. :-)

[@hape3862]

@@test40323 Haha, this nerd finally feels appreciated! 🤓

[@nettcologne9186]

The health system is currently being reformed. But this is more about hospitals. But as part of the reform, homeapathy will no longer be paid for in the future. It is 7.3% of your gross income that you have to spend on health care. Self-employed people pay 14.6%. If you earn over 69,300 euros you can also take out private insurance, which is cheap when you are young but becomes a nightmare when you get old. There are enough family doctors, but no doctor wants to work in rural areas. More incentives must be created for doctors in rural areas.

[@hape3862]

@@nettcologne9186 Thank you for the additional explanations. Did you know that there are incentives for doctors in rural areas? Students with not so good grades at school have to wait for a medical study place because of the numerus clausus. However, if they commit to working as a general practitioner in rural areas for at least 5 years after graduation, they can get a study place earlier/immediately.

[@ChrisTian-rm7zm]

When I once showed up at work whith laryngitis, my boss *ordered* me to go see a ENT *immediately* !

[@dweuromaxx]

In Germany?

[@Zoe-zb7us]

In Australia, you get 2 weeks sick leave.

[@dweuromaxx]

Do you think it's enough?

[@IIIOOOUS]

You say "Hello" when you enter the room and you don´t forget that you cannot buy medicine in a supermarket. These Brits will never learn German politeness.

[@insightinspiration9922]

26 days sick leave on average????? I haven’t been sick even once this year. 😮

[@tombartram7384]

In continental Europe chemists run a nasty cartel charging at least 6 euros for a packet of pain killers. UK price about 50p.

[@dweuromaxx]

As a Brit living in Europe, I agree! The price difference is wild.

[@mollyjonesreacts]

In my current place of residence, you HAVE to get a doctors note on day ONE, to be allowed to stay home. Once I also had a manager who insisted I’d come to the workplace with a 39C fever just so that he could ”meet the entire team” and when I asked why, it was ”for the project group photo” which he considered ”essential”. He was asian and VERY bossy. Absoluely HAD to have his way. Covid changed all those rules. The ONLY good thing with Covid. I’m european, prefering the much more considerate approach aimed at not spreading the disease further 😂!

[@Juro-lk7xf]

Actually, what he has is called "Mens' cold" in Germany. 🙂

[@dweuromaxx]

haha 😅

[@vishalk1985]

Warm water + honey + lemon = 👍

[@sainiamarjeet]

10 day leave per year in India

[@user-fj6qn4td5z]

The famous Unfähigkeit Bescheinigung 😂

[@billkammermeier]

In America most companies give you 6 sicks days at the most. The leave policies here are far from generous.

[@nebelland8355]

What are they doing, if people get cancer or other serious illnesses?

[@Edda-Online]

I assume it is one reason, why life expectancy in Germany is significantly higher than in the USA.

[@starventure]

Found the liar.

[@Edda-Online]

@@starventure sorry, I am confused: Who lied about what?

[@starventure]

@@Edda-Online He is lying about sick days. Blatantly lying.

[@dela960]

Yes! What indeed is it like to get sick as a Canadian? Well...I can almost guarantee you that you will be expected to come into work. Well...ok, first you will wake up feeling sick. Next, you will consider calling in sick but will remember how this is not appreciated. So..if you have an ounce of energy you will go in. But, if you are sick to the point of feeling like death, you will dare to call in only to be questioned as to how sick you really are. You will then probably feel guilty and head to work. Once at work, if you are sick and lifeless and it is noticed that you in fact aren't able to actually work, you will then be told to go home. This will happen once they/work has established that you really are so sick that in fact, it would be a waste of money to have you there.

[@B_Y92]

Finally 😁

[@tdb7992]

Germans get 6 weeks of paid sick leave per year? We only get four here in Australia. But it accumulates, so because I have been with my job for a few years now, I have about four months worth of sick leave saved up. It really comes in handy if you have a bad illness (like when I had to have surgery a few years ago, and needed a long time to recover).

[@nebelland8355]

After the six weeks the health insurance steps in. But only with a certain percentage of the wage. In my case my employer pays an additional amount of money as help for several months (not sure….also depends on how long you work there).

[@Edda-Online]

It doesn’t work this way in Germany. Our sick days don’t accumulate. If an employee is sick for a year or even longer, s/he won’t hardly notice any difference regarding who is paying the income. It is independent of how long you have worked for the company. I am not 100% sure, but, after 2 years other institutions have to pay for your income and I think it will reduce by some percentage. Things get more complicated then. What might be bad enough if you are let’s say in final stage of cancer on on your own. No situation anybody is looking for, but at least some safety net. Edit: @nebelland… provides better information about the wage reduction. 👍

[@marcromain64]

Not per year, but per sick note. In other words, you can miss six weeks if you are sick, then go back to work and if you get sick again in the same year, you still have another six weeks. And these six weeks are just the period during which you continue to receive your salary from your employer. After that, your health insurance will step in (with a percentage of your last salary) and - if the illness makes you permanently unable to work - your care insurance will at some point.

[@starventure]

@@Edda-Online In the US, sick days have a base minimum at the beginning of the year, then they accumulate usually at one day per month with no sick days used. Depending on the employer, it can be as little as 7 to start(most likely burger flipper jobs), then upwards to 21 days for professionals. I get 14 to start, but by the mid summer I will have 3 weeks paid sick time available should I require it. Keep in mind, that is 3 weeks of work time, so that can translate into a much larger amount of time depending on the schedule of work days.

[@Edda-Online]

@@starventure That‘s interesting. I have heard there aren’t any paid days off at all by law in the USA. And usually employees get a certain number of paid days off regardless if they use it for vacation or sick leave. Am I right, if I understand your comment, that it’s rather unlikely employers don’t give any paid sick leave at all? In Germany sick leave and vacation (24 - 30 days a year) are totally independent. Even if you get sick during vacation, these days won’t count as vacation days but as sick leave.

[@minhlede]

that's me for the past 7 days

[@daichi1026]

20 sickleaves + 30 paid holidays = 50 days of off a year... I am wondering what other countries can beat this.

[@user-mc5ry1rg7l]

Hot water or hot black with Ginger/Ingwer😊 it works fór me

[@erato1]

Germans see the Dr 10x a year. In the US we may go once a year. I try to never go.

[@PLuMUK54]

I can't remember the last time that I saw my GP, despite it being free. I've spoken on the phone, from choice. Otherwise, I have seen the practice nurse for an occasional blood test or an annual vaccination. Why 10 visits? Sounds like it's wasting doctor's time.

[@nebelland8355]

Because we need the sick leave and she speaks about a time when Corona was still a thing.

[@citizaniac149]

In most cases it's unnecessary but you have to go the there for the sick leave note/permission.

[@Edda-Online]

German insurances motivate people to have several screenings: everybody should have a dental checkup at least once a year. Women should have a screening for breast cancer and a genitalia checkup also at least once a year. I need a special prescription at least three times a year, what is also considered a visit. And a blood check once a year because of that medication. No, the prescribing doctor must not take the blood test. So, that’s already at least six visits without being sick… Oh, and I have forgotten the eye check: But, I don’t think that’s recommended if you don’t need glasses. But, over 40% are over 50 years old and therefore most likely presbyopic… I don’t think all people go to all screenings, but in general it is common to go at least to the dentist and the gynecologist. Plus the insurance might give some bonus for doing so regularly.

[@_mklein]

6 week sick leave!? Jesus!

[@MajkicGA]

six consecutive weeks are paid, after that you get 60%. You have even mire sick days, you can literally be sick every single month for 1 week and will still get your normal salary

[@adelheidjaeger3201]

I'm Austrian and all the homeremedies seem very familiar to me😊. And they do help❤

[@kessas.489]

Going to a doctor with a cold... never did that in my whole entire life!

[@lobstermash]

Agreed, and there is no point for a viral illness. You're just spreading it around.

[@dweuromaxx]

Gotta get that sick note 📝

[@kessas.489]

@@dweuromaxx Yeah I know that many foreign workers in Germany love to get them but the last time I got one is now two years ago after my surgery!

[@heidiseddik8002]

​@@kessas.489 yes, foreign workers of course. In my company with a majority of foreign workers, they almost never take sick leaves (1 or 2 days at most), and it is actually the Germans who take 1 whole week sick leave at a time for (not feeling well)

[@kessas.489]

@@heidiseddik8002 That's a problem in Germany! Some workers aren't even sick, they just want to get a few days of! That's the reason why my company only accept a Krankmeldung only, if it's a really bad issue, like in my case a surgery!

[@fr2ncm9]

The healthcare system in the U.S is broken. If you get sick in New York City you are better off getting a taxi to take you to the hospital. A ride in an ambulance can cost you at least a thousand dollars. I had an Xray taken of my hip after falling down half a flight of stairs. in February. Thankfully, nothing was broken. By the end of the month, I got a 670 dollar bill for the Xray. My insurance didn't cover it because I had not met my deductible of 5000 out of pocket expense. My ex job's HRA helped a little. Now I only owe them 350 dollars.

[@GodwinIsaac]

In Hawaii we go to the beach and bathe in the sun to get rid of a cold. well maybe it's just me. LOL

[@ExtremeTeddy]

The cold will always take 3-7 days. So buying medicine is a waste of money. To ease the pain and burden home remedies are fine. Unless severe issues most doctors won't even prescribe you strong medicine. So take those sick days, stay in bed, sleep, support your body/ immune system and get well soon 😆 At best don't catch a cold in first place 😅

[@pragyanpokhrel8230]

This is so Nepali, I live in US and people here dont seem to care a bit about home remedies, after coming to US i dont believe in home remedy too.

[@levinpappachanchittilappil2107]

Taking sick leave at my warehouse has risk factor. They may ask you to leave forever 🥴🥺🍻

[@catgirl1016]

As a US citizen I am envious of Germany's sick paid policy and healthcare. Here you earn 1 hour of paid time off for every 40 hours you work. Yes horrible. I live in the state of Illinois where if your company is located out of Cook County they don't have to pay you for sick days. Until recently Illinois passed Paid leave allows workers to earn 5 days of leave of work each year. Yes sill horrible. Don't get sick in USA, you'll end up in debt.

[@johndavis8669]

3:56. I like how the reporter claims to not be a human.

[@lynnsintention5722]

Unless you work at a German school...THere you are encouraged to work till you drop because if a collegue is sick the others will have to do substitution (vertretung) and cover all their classes in addition to their own...THis makes a crazy amount of presssure not to stay home until its really unavoidable. BUt yes once you get that krankensine you can relax

[@trnogger]

In every job people have to cover for a sick colleague. But it is still easier to cover for one colleague than for five.

[@tilasea]

That's not true. Like every where nowadays, when you coff or sniff they look at you with the intention to directly send you home.

[@wolfmangoland7972]

In the US we keep working even if we have a common cold.

[@kristinarassidaki4235]

I'd guess this is more or less the same everywhere in the EU.

[@simplifyhandles]

You forgot “sleep through it,” refuse all medicine, and inhale menthol cream and hot water from the white plastic two piece inhaler that fits your nose and has been passed down from your parents. If it’s really bad you put the cream on your chest. You also forgot bee pollen!

[@klotz__]

Iboprofen for the win. Grippostad when it's really bad.

[@lwacc]

I would like to know what is an "un-averaged" German....

[@antonidasaputro]

in my country,Indonesia ,if you got sick,then most of the boss wont care at all....u have to work,otherwise youll receive no salary :D

[@vickilindberg6336]

A cold? (US Midwest) We allow ten days total for the colds to actually wear off, assuming you're not immune impaired. That cold wasn't enough to miss more than a day, maybe two. Go ahead & infect your co workers.

[@maejohannsebastian7142]

Es ist unglaublich, dass ich als deutscher Steuerzahler fürt einen solchen Unsinn und eine solche miese Darstellung meines Landes auch noch GEZ Gebühren zahlen muss.

[@SharenSong]

I work in Germany and I think they don’t care of getting other people sick lol😅 they bring their very sick children to daycare centers and kindergartens as well😂

[@nebelland8355]

Oh yes. And then they complain, because kindergarten teachers get sick and because we have a shortage of qualified kindergarten teachers anyway, groups have to be closed and all children have to stay home. Or they complain, because the kindergarten calls them and asks them to pick up the ill child again.