On sick leave for a year, this English teacher would have participated in two television cooking shows. An internal investigation has been opened.
This is information that seems so ludicrous that it has crossed our borders. In Germany, near Cologne, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, a teacher is the subject of disciplinary proceedings after participating in two television cooking shows while on sick leave. An internal investigation was opened by the regional prefecture.
The facts were reported by the German press agency dpa. According to her, the English teacher participated twice in an entertainment show that was broadcast on television, during his hiatus of about a year. The regional prefecture of Cologne confirmed that it had initiated disciplinary proceedings with the German media Der Spiegel. She allegedly first asked the teacher for a written statement of her version of the facts, which the teacher subsequently did within the allotted time frame.
His statement was examined, however disciplinary proceedings were initiated. Evidence showing “misconduct” is nevertheless necessary for the procedure to be completed: the German media explains that it can be dismissed if the suspicions of misconduct are unfounded. It remains to be verified that the teacher cannot participate in this program given his work stoppage.
Der Spiegel also reveals that a report entitled “Situation regarding long-term illnesses among civil servants in North Rhine-Westphalia indicates that within from the Ministry of Education, 745 civil servants have been on sick leave for more than six months, 582 for more than a year, 47 for more than three years and 14 for more than five years. Among these 1,388 people, 772 had to consult a doctor, or around 55%.
Some inconsistencies in the mechanisms for controlling sick leave have been pointed out. Franziska Müller-Rech, FDP member of the regional parliament and deputy head of the parliamentary group, told the media that “we finally need an effective system to systematically check the fitness for work of teachers who are on permanent sick leave.” A spokesperson for the Department of Education announced that the state government would examine how to optimize the care of civil servants on long-term sick leave.
A similar story has already happened in Germany. A teacher at a vocational high school in North Rhine-Westphalia who has been on sick leave since 2009 has continued to receive her full salary throughout all these years. She would never have been summoned by a public health doctor. When her situation changed at the beginning of the year, she filed a complaint, which brought the matter to light.
Sick leave for teachers is often seen as an element of abuse in National Education in Europe and in France. According to DGFAP data, however, French teachers are on sick leave less than other employees. In 2019, 2.6% of them were absent at least one day for health reasons during a week: this is 50% less than private sector employees and almost 100% less than local civil servants.
