It has been revealed that a teacher in Germany has been on sick leave for 16 years while receiving full pay. The court ruled that the teacher should undergo a health examination to verify whether their health condition makes it difficult to work.
According to the weekly magazine Stern on the 24th (local time), this teacher, who works at a vocational school in Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, has not attended school since extending their sick leave in the summer of 2009.
The principal, who has worked at the same school since 2015, told the media that he had never heard of this teacher. It is said that the North Rhine-Westphalia authorities first confirmed last year that the teacher had been on long-term sick leave.
The tabloid daily Bild raised suspicions that this teacher owns two dwellings in Duisburg and may have been working part-time as a private therapist.
The story of living as a 'ghost teacher' for 16 years became known amid a lawsuit over the long-term sick leave.
North Rhine-Westphalia demanded that the teacher undergo a health examination in April this year. The teacher filed a lawsuit in court, arguing that after more than 10 years, there was no reason for the authorities to order a health examination, and that the demand for mental health assessment infringes on personal rights.
However, the court ruled on the 12th that clarifying the health condition falls under the employer's duty of protection and that the demand for a health examination is justified. The judges added that while it is hard to understand why the state government did not demand a health examination earlier, it does not affect the ruling.