project b. automatically requests the electronic certificate of incapacity for work (eAU) from the statutory health insurer as soon as a client records or approves an absence. This article explains how to activate the feature per client, how to keep track of status across your clients, and how to handle cases that need clarification.
❗️ Prerequisites
Two conditions must be met before eAU retrieval can run for a client:
The client's company registration number (Betriebsnummer) is stored in project b.
The feature is activated for the client. Contact your project b. account manager to enable it.
Understanding the automatic process
Once the feature is active, the process runs without any input from you:
The client records or approves an incapacity for work for an employee with statutory health insurance, including a date of medical determination.
project b. schedules the request - 2 calendar days after the date of medical determination. This delay exists because doctors typically need up to 2 days to register the eAU with the insurer. Requesting earlier frequently results in a "no certificate on file" response.
The request is sent to the insurer automatically.
The response is retrieved, evaluated, and the status in project b. is updated - including an explanation and recommended next action.
eAU request overview
Under Export, go to the Absences tab to track the status of eAU retrievals. The table includes an eAU request column showing the current status for each incapacity for work.
Click on any row to open the details panel with the eAU section, where you can see the full details of the insurer's response.
Status overview
Each request has a status. The table below explains what it means and whether you need to act.
Status | Meaning | Action required? |
Planned | The request is prepared but has not yet been sent. | No - you can send it manually via Request now, but this is generally not recommended. |
In progress | The request has been sent; the insurer's response is pending. | No - the response usually arrives within an hour. |
Pending | The insurer has indicated that it is still reviewing (e.g. 28 days). | No - project b. follows up automatically. |
Done | The incapacity for work was confirmed without discrepancies. | No. |
To review | There is a discrepancy or something that needs clarification. | Yes - see the details panel. |
Failed | The retrieval failed due to a technical error. | Yes - use alternative procedures. |
Reviewed | Manually closed. | No. |
Handling "To review" cases
When a request has the status To review, the details panel shows an explanation card with the reason and a specific recommended action. The most common causes:
Unknown person / wrong insurer: The employee was not found in the insurer's records. Check the insurance details and submit a new request.
Mismatched data: The insurer reports different dates than what's in the system. Clarify the discrepancy with the client.
No certificate on file: The eAU has not yet been received by the insurer. Submit a new request or wait for the employee to provide a later notification.
Under review: The insurer is still checking. project b. follows up automatically; after 28 days without a response, the status changes to To review
Manual actions
The following actions are available in the details panel:
Request now
Sends a Planned request immediately, without waiting for the automatic send time. We generally advise against using this option.
Request again
Starts a new retrieval for cases where a retry makes sense (e.g. no certificate on file, unknown person).
Mark as reviewed
Closes a case once clarification is complete. You can optionally add a note - for example, the outcome of a conversation with the client.
Reset review
Undoes the review marking. Any note you added is kept.
Special cases
Employees with private health insurance permanently show the status To review / Privately insured. No automatic retrieval runs for them. Proof of incapacity must be submitted manually.
Sick notes without a date of medical determination (typically up to 3 days) do not trigger an eAU retrieval. The details panel shows a note - no action required.
Sick notes over 3 days without a date of medical determination - the details panel flags the missing date. Let the client know they need to add it.
Edits after the request has been sent - changes to an incapacity record after the request has been sent do not affect the process already running. Only Request again or a new incapacity record with the correct data triggers a new request.
Enabling email notifications
By default, you don't receive emails about eAU requests. You can enable the following notification:
eAU query: review required or failed - you're notified when an eAU query requires follow-up or could not be completed.
Go to Settings, then click Email Notifications.
