The federal cabinet plans to approve the revised Corona Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance tomorrow, Wednesday. VDMA Executive Director Thilo Brodtmann explains:

"While companies should continue to ensure comprehensive corona protection in the workplace, the revised Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance largely relieves employees of their personal responsibility. For example, the biggest blunder in the ordinance is that employees no longer have to provide employers with information about their vaccination or convalescent status.

„The obligation to provide information is the most important prerequisite for companies to be able to create an effective hygiene concept.“

Thilo Brodtmann, Executive Director of VDMA

The obligation to provide information is the most important prerequisite for companies to be able to create an effective hygiene concept. Instead, establishments continue to be charged unilaterally for the costs of corona protection. This applies both to the tests that must be offered weekly and to medical masks, if such are required. For the general public, Corona measures are largely eliminated. On the other hand, measures remain in place at the plants, and they have to pay for them. It doesn't add up."

The VDMA represents more than 3,400 German and European companies of the mechanical engineering industry. The industry stands for innovation, export orientation and medium-sized businesses. The companies employ around four million people in Europe, more than one million of them in Germany. Mechanical and plant engineering represents a European turnover volume of around 800 billion euros. With a net value added of around 270 billion euros, it contributes the highest share of the entire manufacturing sector to the European gross domestic product.