Electronic sick notes: What is the digital sick note?
The electronic certificate of incapacity for work, eAU for short, is often referred to as an electronic sick note or digital sick note. It replaces the previous paper sick note – the familiar “yellow slip” – with a digital version.
With the Bureaucracy Reduction Act III from 2019, the legislator created the basis for the introduction of the eAU. In doing so, it pursued two central goals: reducing administrative costs and using resources more sustainably. In view of around 77 million sick notes per year, this step is logical: the eAU can save around 308 million paper forms. In addition, the electronic procedure minimizes potential disputes over the timely submission of a sick note.
Incidentally, the sickness notification data was already recorded digitally at the doctor’s surgery in the previous sickness absence procedure. However, the subsequently printed certificates were scanned again by health insurance companies and employers. In the end, nothing remained of the original paper report – it was disposed of.
Why sick leave is an underestimated HR cost driver
Sick notes are one of the most frequent administrative processes in the HR department and at the same time one of the most inefficient.
Media disruptions, manual queries, a lack of transparency and corrections in payroll accounting tie up valuable HR resources. With the introduction of the electronic certificate of incapacity for work (eAU), the legislator in Germany has created a digital standard as of 01.01.2023, but only an integrated digital sick note can unleash its full efficiency potential.
This article shows in a practical way how HR departments can measurably reduce their workload, which key figures are relevant and what to look out for when implementing them.
Typical expenses in the classic sickness notification process
In many SMEs, the process remains fragmented despite eAU:
- Notification of illness by phone, email or Messenger / WhatsApp
- Manual recording in the HR or time recording system
- Separate retrieval of eAU data, often externally by the payroll office / tax office
- Queries in case of uncertainties such as duration or follow-up AU
- Post-processing for payroll accounting and time accounts
The result is a high time expenditure per sick note, increased susceptibility to errors and a lack of real-time overview.
Digital sick note: The decisive difference
The digital sick note does not end with the retrieval of the eAU. What is crucial is the end-to-end process chain from the employee to payroll accounting. An integrated approach connects:
- Employee self-disclosure via an Employee Self Service
- Digital time tracking
- Automated retrieval of the eAU
- Digital transfer to payroll accounting
This turns a mandatory task into an efficient HR process.
How HR costs are reduced in concrete terms
1. elimination of manual recording
Employees report their absence directly digitally. The sick note is immediately available to the HR department in a structured form.
- No media breaks
- No double entry
- Immediate availability for HR and managers
2. automated eAU retrieval
eAU data is retrieved automatically, either via an interface to the information technology service center of the statutory health insurance (ITSG) or directly via the DATEV payroll software such as LODAS or Lohn- und Gehalt.
- No manual status check
- Reduced queries
- Legally compliant documentation
3. integration with digital time tracking
The sick note has a direct effect on working time accounts, absence overviews and evaluations.
- Automatic maintenance of attendances, absences and time accounts
- Fewer manual corrections
- Consistent database
4. fewer queries, more transparency
Clear status displays significantly reduce internal communication.
- Fewer emails and phone calls
- Relief for HR and managers
- No time-consuming coordination processes with external payroll office or tax office
HR key figures: Making effort measurable
The following key figures are suitable for evaluating the benefits of digital sick notes:
- Processing time per sick note
- Number of HR queries per sick note
- Corrections in payroll accounting
- Time until complete process clarification
Individual digital tools only solve partial problems. Only the integration of sick notes, time tracking and payroll accounting creates sustainable efficiency. In practice, many companies reduce their administrative effort per sick note by up to 50 percent as soon as the process is fully integrated.
Checklist: Implement digital sick notes efficiently
Processes and organization ✅
- Has a standardized digital reporting channel been implemented for employees?
- Have you defined clear substitution and escalation rules?
- Are transparent status displays available to HR and managers?
Systems and integration ✅
- Has a connection to digital time tracking been implemented?
- Is there already an automated retrieval of the eAU either via ITSG or DATEV?
- Is payroll accounting connected without additional double entry?
HR and compliance ✅
- Is the processing of data GDPR-compliant?
- Are all process steps fully documented?
- Is there a traceable history for audit purposes?
Controlling and optimization ✅
- Are processing times systematically measured?
- Is there an evaluation of queries and corrections?
- Are regular reviews of the processes planned?
Conclusion
Digital sick notes are more than just a legal obligation. When implemented correctly, they demonstrably reduce the HR workload, increase data quality and create transparency. The decisive factor is an integrated end-to-end process that fits seamlessly into existing HR systems.
Digital sickness reporting is particularly effective when it is not viewed as an isolated stand-alone solution, but is part of an integrated HR system landscape. Linking it with modules such as digital time tracking, Employee Self Service, staff scheduling or other administrative processes ensures consistent data, avoids multiple maintenance and creates a uniform information base. For HR departments, this means less operational coordination, greater process reliability and more time for strategic tasks.
