For 16 years, a German teacher has stayed home on full salary, skipping work but not payday. Now, after finally being asked to prove she’s sick, she’s taken legal action against her employer.
The teacher, who has not been publicly named, worked at a vocational college in Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia. Or at least she used to. Since 2009, she has remained on sick leave, collecting an estimated €1 million (approximately $1.17 million) while submitting monthly medical certificates that were never supported by an official medical evaluation.
That changed earlier this year, when a new school administrator ordered an audit. The inquiry revealed a serious procedural gap: while the teacher had continuously turned in documentation, no one had ever actually required her to undergo a formal medical exam.
Rather than comply, she filed suit. She argued the request infringed on her rights, but a German court dismissed her case, calling the situation “truly incomprehensible.” She was ordered to pay her employer’s legal fees, totaling €2,500 (about $2,900).
Teacher on 16-Year Sick Leave Sues Employer for Wanting Proof She’s Sick
The case has stirred national debate in Germany, where teachers are considered civil servants. That status comes with generous protections, like indefinite full-pay sick leave, but also stricter rules. If the allegations are factual, this teacher may have broken several of them.
Local reports claim she launched a medical startup and worked as a naturopath during her absence. If true, those actions could cost her her salary, pension, and civil servant title. Legal scholar Ralf Delgmann told The Munich Eye that any side work must be pre-approved, and working while on sick leave raises serious questions about whether the illness was genuine.
Still, Delgmann says it’s unlikely she’ll be forced to repay anything. Proving someone wasn’t ill retroactively for 16 years is nearly impossible. The bigger problem, he said, is systemic. Under German law, private employees typically shift to reduced sickness benefits after six weeks. Civil servants, on the other hand, can receive their full salary until retirement, with little oversight.
A strange case, yes, but also a wake-up call. It sparked a broader conversation about policy gaps and public responsibility.
The post This Teacher’s Been on Sick Leave for 16 Years—Now She’s Suing for Being Asked to Prove It appeared first on VICE.
