Do Germans really take 19.5 days of sick leave per year?

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How do different countries compare, in terms of the amount of time that workers take as sick leave? Loyal listener Dave got in touch to ask us to look at a surprising statistic he saw in the news – that the average German takes 19.5 days of sick leave per year. “This is extremely hard to believe,” he wrote. We track down the – highly reliable – source of the claim, and look at the differences between countries when it comes to taking time of work with illness. To guide us through it all is Lukas Lehner - assistant professor at the University of Edinburgh. If you’ve seen a number in the news that you think we should take a look at, get in touch: moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Lizzy McNeill Producer: Krista Beighton Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon