The electronic certificate of incapacity for work (eAU) has replaced the previous paper document since 01.01.2023. This not only brings benefits for the environment, but also changes for employers and employees.
What is a certificate of incapacity for work?
A certificate of incapacity for work is a certificate issued by a doctor. This certificate confirms that the patient is unfit for work and therefore unable to work.
How does the eAU work?
The electronic certificate of incapacity for work is issued to employees by their treating doctor. The eAU replaces the previous paper certificate and is transmitted online to the responsible health insurance fund or the GKV server – patients no longer have to worry about transmitting it to the health insurance fund. It is important to note that the certificates of incapacity for work are not proactively communicated to employers. Employees must therefore continue to report sick to their employer so that they can send an eAU request to the GKV server at the right time (usually after 24 hours at the earliest).
What is the quickest way to retrieve the eAU?
The GKV-Spitzenverband provides the web-based tool “sv.net” for retrieving electronic certificates of incapacity for work from the GKV server. They can also be retrieved via a payroll accounting program. A convenient alternative is to retrieve the eAU directly from the digital time tracking system, as this usually records employees’ sick notes promptly anyway. In particular, companies that have commissioned a tax consultant to prepare their payroll accounting can keep the eAU process lean by using a digital query from the time recording software and digitally transmit the retrieved incapacity for work at the end of the payroll period together with other gross wage data to their tax consultant. In addition, the HR master data relevant for the eAU request is already available in the time recording software and does not have to be entered manually for each eAU request.
Who is the eAU suitable for?
The electronic certificate of incapacity for work is suitable for anyone who is in an employment relationship and has statutory health insurance.
What are the advantages of the eAU?
By digitizing the process, it will be possible to issue and transmit the certificates online in the future. This will make the entire process less paper-based. It will also reduce potential errors when issuing the certificates.
Your company does not yet have software to query the eAU?
ZMI offers you flexible solutions for recording working time, including absence management and an eAU interface. We will also find an individual solution for your company:
- Time tracking at the stationary terminal,
- at the PC workstation or
- Mobile with a variety of end devices
In which cases can the eAU be requested?
- Incapacity to work due to illness diagnosed by a panel doctor or panel dentist (Section 295 (1) sentence 1 SGB V),
- Incapacity to work due to an accident at work or an occupational disease (§ 201 Para. 2 SGB VII) or
- Incapacity for work during inpatient hospital treatment at the expense of a statutory health insurance fund (Section 301 (1) sentence 1 SGB V)
In which cases can the eAU not be used?
- Incapacity to work without being diagnosed by a panel doctor or panel dentist (three-day waiting period),
- Determination of incapacity for work by doctors abroad,
- Prevention or rehabilitation measure of a social insurance provider,
- Preventive care benefit (mother-child or father-child measure),
- Medical prohibition of employment according to § 16 paragraph 1 Maternity Protection Act,
- Receipt of child sickness benefit or child injury benefit or
- Incapacity for work determined by a private doctor
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