On sick leave

Former company doctor at Wiener Linien comes clean

Dr. Danut H. (left) was the company doctor at Wiener Linien for six years. With his lawyer Johannes Bügler.

(Bild: Holl Reinhard)

Overly personal questionnaires about illnesses, compulsory visits to the company doctor and sometimes high salary losses: a former staff representative of Wiener Linien heavily criticized the handling of sick employees - we reported. Now an ex-company doctor is speaking out.

For six years, Dr. Danut H. was responsible for certifying whether bus, streetcar and subway drivers were fit for work or not. Until February 2024, when he was fired for alleged misconduct. 

Nevertheless, he got to know the other side for a long time. Is there any truth to the ex-staff representative's accusations from his point of view?

Often only a short time for assessment
The doctor talks about his practical experience: anyone who was ill for two months or longer - and there were quite a few of them during the coronavirus pandemic - had to come to him with all their findings.

 However, he would only have had 60 minutes to assess the employee. A time limit from "above", says the doctor. "One hour is not enough for more complicated cases. That's not enough for a proper assessment," says Danut H.

Covid has increased the psychological strain on the staff. Some have become unfit to drive as a result. Depending on their length of service, those affected would have been transferred to the control center or to other positions outside of passenger service. The doctor does not know whether this is associated with a loss of salary and if so, how much.

Company doctor takes legal action against dismissal
Wiener Linien strictly rejects internal time specifications for medical reports. "There is no such thing." The doctor had been dismissed due to several incidents relevant to employment law. Which ones? The company is not allowed to say for data protection reasons. The 53-year-old is now appealing against his dismissal. Next hearing date: The beginning of December.

For his lawyer Johannes Bügler, the accusations of the ex-employees are a sign of dubious company policy: "They obviously want people who don't make 'crumbs' and not those who look after others."

Wiener Linien was initially unable to answer a Krone inquiry about how many employees were transferred internally from driving operations due to coronavirus and what impact this had on their pay.