Salary continuation during illness: requirement for medical certification of duration of incapacity

The Federal Labour Court dismissed the plaintiff's appeal, leaving the lower court's decision in favor of the defendant in force and ordering the plaintiff to bear the litigation costs. The dispute concerned a claim for continued payment of salary (Lohnfortzahlung) for the first six weeks of continuous illness, challenging the defendant's refusal to pay on the basis that the plaintiff had failed to provide a valid medical certificate. The court held that the employer is not obligated to pay for an extended period where the employee cannot substantiate the duration of incapacity with a doctor's note, applying the statutory requirement for medical certification under German labor and social security law to deny the claim.