Restaurateur clarifies

Vacation vs. sick leave: “Was never my intention”

There has recently been a lot of fuss about short-term sick leave.

(Bild: Fotowerk, stock.adobe.com)

After his claim on the issue of sick leave made waves, Carinthian restaurateur Stefan Sternad has now backed down a little in an interview with "Krone", but remains adamant in the discussion about sick leave and is not sparing in his criticism of the ÖGK.

The uproar following the "Krone" article, in which restaurant spokesman Stefan Sternad questioned sick leave of less than three days and suggested vacation or time off to compensate, was huge. In addition to the trade union, many employees also took offense at the Chamber of Commerce official's demand. However, he has received a lot of support from employers, some of whom have publicly backed his position: "Sick leave is a massive cost problem in many companies," says Sternad.

The reactions in the media, on social networks, from trade unions and political parties were considerable and in some cases abbreviated, incomprehensible and insulting, explains Sternad. "The response was unbelievable, sometimes even emotional," reflects the restaurateur. "It wasn't my intention to question justified sick leave - I'm mainly concerned with the problem of sick leave abuse and the resulting cost pressure on entrepreneurs," Sternad qualifies his statement. He merely wanted to initiate a discussion about this.

Criticism from his own ranks
The fact that Sternad has apparently overstepped the mark is also shown by criticism from within his own ranks: "There is no question for us that sick employees can recuperate at home without having to take leave - this basic principle of sick leave cannot be shaken. The Carinthian colleague has clearly overstepped the mark here," criticizes Mario Pulker, Chairman of the WKÖ's Catering Trade Association. However, it must be acknowledged that the increased number of sick days over the last few years represents a considerable burden for employers and employees. 

Sternad still sees a great need for reform in terms of sick leave and in the ÖGK: "Sick leave abuse is not a trivial offense, it threatens entire livelihoods."

I would like to make this clear: It's not about sending people to work sick, it's about curbing abuse.

Stefan Sternad, Kärntner Spartenobmann für Gastronomie

Employers cover the costs up to the eleventh day of sick leave. He stands by his call for the ÖGK to cover costs from the fourth day of sick leave: "This would result in stricter controls. After all, fictitious sick leave, which often occurs on window days or during the notice period, is an enormous burden - even for those hard-working colleagues who are exposed to an additional workload in such cases."

Often frivolous sick notes from doctors
According to Sternad, such abuse starts with doctors who carelessly issue sick notes: "I am in favor of abolishing retroactive and telephone sick notes and reintroducing the obligation to have a chief physician," says the criticized lobbyist, underlining his demands.