Apply for compensation in the event of exclusion or a ban on practising
You may be entitled to compensation if you have suffered a loss of earnings as a result of quarantine, isolation or a ban on working. The ban on work or the requirement to self-isolate or be quarantined must have been ordered by the public health authority or another competent body, or must result from a statutory order.
Since 1 March 2023, there have been no further measures in Baden-Württemberg that are eligible for compensation and that have been ordered by a regulation of the state government or the Ministry of Social Affairs. For periods from 1 March 2023 onwards, therefore, compensation can only be claimed if the competent authority has personally ordered you to self-isolate or to refrain from work, and the other conditions set out in Section 56 of the IfSG are met.
For employees, the application to the competent authority and the payment of compensation are handled by the employer. If an employee becomes unfit for work due to illness during the period eligible for compensation, they are generally not entitled to compensation under the IfSG, but rather to continued payment of wages by the employer (see the judgment of the Federal Administrative Court 3 C 4.24 of 9 October 2026, according to which even an asymptomatic infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus constitutes an illness within the meaning of Section 3(1), first sentence, of the Continued Remuneration Act if the person concerned is required to self-isolate as a result). Self-employed persons may submit their application directly to the competent authority.
Amount of compensation:
- Weeks 1 to 6: Amount of loss of earnings
- From the 7th week onwards: 67% of the loss of earnings incurred
For employers:
Upon application, the relevant authority will reimburse you for the compensation paid to your employees:
- in the case of work restrictions: loss of earnings and pension contributions;
- for self-employed persons: loss of earnings, pension contributions and contributions to statutory health insurance, social care insurance and unemployment insurance.
For the self-employed:
Upon application, the relevant authority will reimburse you:
- loss of earnings and social security contributions to a reasonable extent for the relevant period.
Responsible authority
The Mannheim Public Health Authority is the central body responsible for processing claims in Baden-Württemberg. You can find the website, which includes the claim forms to download and contact details, here: Claims for compensation under Section 56 of the Infection Protection Act | Mannheim.de
Details
Prerequisite
- Loss of earnings due to a ban on work or isolation under the Infection Protection Act (IfSG)
Compensation cannot be paid:
- during a period of sick leave or when a person is reported as unfit for work
- to apprentices who, for reasons attributable to their own person and through no fault of their own, are prevented from fulfilling their obligations under the vocational training contract (in accordance with Section 19(1)(2)(b) of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG))
- in the absence of collective agreement provisions: for a relatively insignificant period of prohibition from work (pursuant to Section 616 of the German Civil Code (BGB))
- in the event of other paid work within the company
- where it was possible to compensate for the loss of earnings through another reasonable form of work, for example by working from home
- where the employer has contractual or collective agreement obligations to continue paying wages
Procedure
Please note: Applications can only be made retrospectively.
The procedure varies depending on employment status:
- For employees:
Employees receive compensation from their employers for the first six weeks. From the seventh week onwards, they must submit an application themselves to the relevant authority in order to continue receiving compensation. - For employers:
Employers can subsequently claim a refund of the compensation paid to employees upon application, provided they were not obliged to continue paying wages. They can submit applications for several employees together. - For the self-employed:
Self-employed people can submit the application themselves.
Note: Once the authority has assessed the claim, a decision will be issued. The compensation payment is made by the Landesoberkasse BW and is paid directly into the bank account specified by the applicant.
Deadlines
- Within 2 years of the start of the ban on working or the end of the quarantine period.
- The date on which the application is received by the competent authority is decisive for meeting the deadline.
Required documents
Employer
- Pay slips for the two months prior to the loss of earnings for each employee
- Pay slips for the months for which reimbursement is claimed, for each employee
- Proof of any subsidies paid or not paid
- Sick notes/certificates of incapacity for work in the event of sick leave
- Where applicable, an extract from the collective agreement regarding continued pay in the event of incapacity for work
- Proof of vaccination status or medical contraindication
- If available: proof of an officially ordered ban on work or an officially ordered isolation or quarantine. If isolation certificates are no longer being issued, please have the relevant positive PCR or rapid test result to hand as proof, which justifies the isolation or work ban.
Self-employed persons
- Proof of income (tax assessment notice) for the previous year
- If available: proof of loss of income during the period of the ban on work or isolation or quarantine
- Where applicable, evidence of insurance benefits received
- Sick notes or certificates of incapacity for work in the event of sick leave
- Proof of vaccination status or medical contraindication
- If available: Proof of the officially ordered work ban or the officially ordered isolation or quarantine. If isolation certificates are no longer being issued, please have the relevant positive PCR or rapid test result to hand as proof, which justifies the isolation or work ban.
Authorised representatives
- If the application is being made on behalf of a company or a self-employed person (for example, as a tax adviser), please submit a power of attorney.
Costs
Costs and fees may be incurred in the course of an appeal procedure.
Processing time
This varies on a case-by-case basis, depending on the volume and quality of applications, in particular the completeness of the documents and supporting evidence.
Miscellaneous
none
Legal basis
Infektionsschutzgesetz (IfSG):
- § 31 Berufliches Tätigkeitsverbot
- § 30 Absonderung
- § 56 Entschädigung
Fünftes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB 5):
- § 47 Absatz 1 Krankengeld
Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG):
- § 19 Absatz 1 Ziffer 2 Buchstabe b Fortzahlung der Vergütung
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB):
- § 616 Vorübergehende Verhinderung
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 28.05.2026