Fortzahlung

Fortzahlung, in the context of labor law, refers to the continued payment of wages or salary by an employer to an employee during periods when the employee cannot work due to a protected reason, most commonly illness or injury. The term can also cover similar wage continuation in other legally defined situations, depending on the national rules of a country.

In Germany, the core concept is Entgeltfortzahlung im Krankheitsfall (wage continuation in case of illness). The legal basis is the Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (EFZG). A prerequisite for entitlement is that the employee has been employed for at least four weeks in the current employment relationship. If these conditions are met, the employer must continue to pay the employee their regular wage for up to six weeks of illness. The payment typically covers the employee’s regular earnings, subject to normal payroll deductions.

If the illness lasts longer than six weeks, the responsibility for wage replacement shifts to the statutory health insurance system. The employee then generally receives Krankengeld (sickness benefit) from the health insurance, which is normally 70 percent of the gross income, but not more than 90 percent of the net income. The sickness benefit is designed to supplement the loss of earnings while still preventing a complete reduction in income. Krankengeld can be paid for a maximum period of up to 78 weeks within a three-year period for the same illness.

The process typically requires the employee to provide a medical certificate of incapacity for work (Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) to the employer. The concept of Fortzahlung emphasizes the employer’s responsibility to protect employees from sudden income loss during short-term health-related absences, while longer-term gaps are supported by social insurance mechanisms.