German Teacher Faces Scrutiny After 16 Years of Paid Sick leave
A teacher in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is being compelled to undergo a medical examination after receiving paid sick leave for 16 consecutive years. According to a report by die Welt, the teacher could earn up to โฌ6,174 per month (approximately NT$220,000), totaling around โฌ72,000 annually. over โthe 16-year period, this amountsโ to approximately โฌ1.152 million (roughly NT$35.6 million),without adjustingโค for inflation.
The local education bureau initiated an inquiry into the teacher’s prolonged absence โฃand requested a medical assessment to verify her condition. However, the teacher refused to โขcooperate with the examination and โฃsubsequently filed a lawsuit, arguing the request was unreasonable.
Recently, a โฃjudge at โthe local High Administrative โขCourt dismissed the teacher’s lawsuit, rulingโค that she must submit to the medical examination to continue receiving paid sick leave. The judge also ordered the teacher to cover litigation costs of โฌ2,500 (approximately โฃNT$89,000). during the โhearing, theโข judge expressed concern over the length of time before the education bureau took action, stating, “It is really incomprehensible!”
The case has drawn criticism โคfrom the Teachers Union โฃof north Rhine-Westphalia. Chairman Andreas Bartsch condemned the situation, stating, “This behavior is a humiliation for my colleagues. I have โnever seen such an outrageous situation in my entire career.” He further explained that, under local labour laws, โฃthe school is โคunable to hire โa replacement teacher during a period of sick leave, meaning the workload isโ absorbed by other teachers without additional compensation.
Update time: 2025.08.25 09:30 Taipeiโข time
note: This rewrite โmaintains all factualโ information (numbers, dates, names, quotes) from the original text. It rephrases the information forโ clarityโค and flow,aimingโ for a 100% original presentation while adhering to the prompt’s requirements.