Also, I don&#x27;t know how it&#x27;s in Germany, but in other parts of Europe, your employer can <i>force</i> you to take your vacation days. Most do it at the end of the year, because if you have unused vacation days and you quit, they have to pay you extra for the vacation days you lose by quitting. And as you noted, sick days aren&#x27;t counted in that. In fact, I can take a one-day sick leave whenever I want without so much as a doctor&#x27;s notice (company policy mainly due to the fact that taking a sick leave with a doctor&#x27;s notice creates more administrative work which isn&#x27;t worth it for a single day).