For employees and employers Indication

Sick in Germany: continued pay and sickness benefit 2026

When you are unable to work, the employer continues full pay for up to six weeks. After that the health insurer pays sickness benefit: 70% of gross pay, at most 90% of net pay.

Your details

Gross pay per month

Tax class

Child allowances (count)Only affects the solidarity surcharge and church tax, not income tax.

Liable to church tax (member of a church that levies it)

Federal state (place of work)Determines the church tax rate (8% in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, 9% elsewhere) and long-term care in Saxony.

Additional contribution of your health insurer

Empty = average additional contribution 2026 (2.9%). Your insurer publishes its own rate.

Children under 25

Childless and aged 23 or over (long-term care surcharge)

Refund from the U1 levy (employer)

Only employers with up to 30 staff; rate per your insurer’s rules (at most 80%). Empty = no refund.

Sick pay and sickness benefitValues 2026

Result

Continued pay for 6 weeks (gross)–

Sickness benefit net per month (30 days)–

Less than your monthly net pay–

Employer cost for 6 weeks–

Item	Rate	Amount

Explanation

Indication: for six weeks we use 6 × monthly pay × 3 / 13. Sickness benefit per calendar day is 70% of gross / 30 (up to the contribution ceiling), capped at 90% of net / 30; the insured person’s pension, unemployment and care contributions are then deducted. One-off payments in the last 12 months increase the benefit slightly (section 47(2) SGB V) and are not included here. For the same illness, sickness benefit is paid for at most 78 weeks within three years (section 48 SGB V).

Note: an indication, not legal or tax advice

This calculation is based on the general statutory rules and the values published for 2026. It is not legal, tax or payroll advice. Collective agreements, employment contracts and works agreements may provide more favourable rules.

Sources and values used

Item	Value	Source
Continued pay	up to 6 weeks, 100%, after 4 weeks of employment	Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (EntgFG), § 3 (in German)
Sickness benefit	70% of regular pay, at most 90% of net pay	SGB V, § 47 (Höhe des Krankengeldes) (in German)
Contributions from sickness benefit (insured person’s share)	pension 9.3%, unemployment 1.3%, care as employee share	SGB VI, § 170 (Beitragstragung bei Krankengeld) (in German)
U1 refund (small employers)	up to 80% of the continued pay	Aufwendungsausgleichsgesetz, § 1 (U1-Erstattung) (in German)
Contribution ceilings health/care and pension/unemployment (month)	€5,812.50 / €8,450	Sozialversicherungsrechengrößen-Verordnung 2026, §§ 1, 2, 4 (in German)
Further source		Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (EntgFG), § 4 (Höhe) (in German)
Further source		SGB V, § 48 (Dauer des Krankengeldes) (in German)

Sources checked on 15 October 2026.