A German teacher who has been on sick leave for 16 years has taken legal action against her employer after being asked to prove she was unfit to work.
The teacher, whose name is protected under German privacy laws, first went on leave in 2009 citing undisclosed mental health issues. Since then, she has continuously extended her absence while receiving her full salary from the education authority in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany.
According to local media, state officials recently questioned the unusually long absence and requested that she undergo a medical examination. The teacher refused and instead filed a lawsuit, claiming the demand was unreasonable.
The Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia dismissed her case, ruling that she must undergo a medical assessment if she wishes to continue her sick leave. She was also ordered to pay €2,500 (£2,200) in legal costs.
The case—made public only because of her lawsuit—has sparked anger among fellow educators. Andreas Bartsch, head of the state’s 30,000-member teachers’ union, called the situation “a slap in the face to my colleagues” and “completely abysmal behaviour.” He noted that under German employment law, schools are often unable to hire permanent replacements for teachers on long-term sick leave, forcing colleagues to take on extra work.
As civil servants, teachers in many German states are entitled to full salary during illness. In North Rhine-Westphalia, teachers can earn up to €6,174 (£5,300) per month. This means the teacher has likely collected about €72,000 annually while on leave—an estimated €1 million (£900,000) over 16 years.
It remains unclear why state authorities waited so long to challenge the arrangement.