2️⃣8️⃣ Doctor's Note Required From Day 1 of Sick Leave, Germany Hits Record 41.5°C & AI to Hunt Rent Exploitation + Weekly Events, IWB Highlights & More!
Hello again, IWBies! 💖
This heatwave is no joke, is it? Berlin (and pretty much all of Europe) has been sweating through record-breaking temperatures this week, and if you’ve been melting on your commute or fighting over who gets to sleep near the fan, just know: you are not alone. Stay hydrated, keep those curtains closed during the day, and maybe treat yourself to an extra ice cream this weekend 🍦
Just a little reminder: we’re a small group of immigrant women doing this voluntarily, balancing work, life, and everything in between, while trying to keep this space informative, supportive and real for all of us navigating Germany together.
With love, Sabrina & your IWB team 💖
As immigrants, it’s important to stay informed about what’s happening in Germany. Here are the most important news updates you should be aware of:
💊 Doctor’s note required from day 1 of sick leave under new law: Not law yet, expected to pass by end of the year. Family doctors call it “an absolute catastrophe.” Big change coming for all workers
📋 Merz’s other reforms: tax cuts, retirement age up, banned nationalisation of housing: 34 measures announced this Thursday.
🌡️ Germany hits new all-time record of 41.5°C as heatwave peaks: the highest temperature ever recorded in the country. National alerts remain active.
🤖 New Berlin rent register uses AI to catch rent exploitation and fine landlords: finally, technology on the side of tenants
⚠️ July 2026: 9 changes affecting expats in Germany: fuel tax cut ends, tax return deadline, CSD dates and more. Read before the month rolls in
🌬️ Heatwave rights: when ventilation helps, when it harms, and what tenants can demand: know your rights before your landlord tries anything
💰 Pay Transparency Directive takes effect: only 9% of employers ready: salary ranges must now be disclosed. Time to negotiate
📱 Germany considers social media age limit up to 18: if you have younger siblings or kids, worth reading
🏛️ Berlin Fire Chief pay scandal: can a public authority head approve their own raise?: yes, they did. Now Berlin is asking how this even happened
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👉 Week from July 6th to July 12th — Berlin is a city full of events to suit all tastes. Here are some highlights we think you and your friends would enjoy:
🎤 Robyn: The Sexistential Tour @ Uber Arena: July 8 | The Swedish pop icon returns to Berlin with her first album since Honey. Dancing On My Own live? Yes please 💜
🌍 Kenako Africa Festival @ Alexanderplatz: ongoing | African marketplace with tents, live stage, food and music. Free entry
🎬 Little Miss Sunshine @ Freiluftkino Kreuzberg: July 12, 21:30 | Warm-hearted family classic under the stars. English with German subs. The exact energy we need this week 🌻
🎬 La Haine @ Freiluftkino Kreuzberg: 30th anniversary: July 9, 21:30 | The French cult classic. Still just as urgent
🎬 Berlin Film Week 2026: until July 5 | Curated international cinema across Cineplex Neukölln, Sputnik Kino, City Kino Wedding & Freiluftkino Weißensee
🏺 Try the Wheel Wednesday: beginner pottery class (small group): July 8, 19:00 | Prenzlauer Berg. Book fast, these fill up
🏺 Wheelthrowing Pottery Taster Class @ Helka Ceramics Kreuzberg: this week | English instruction. One-off 2.5h workshop, all materials included
📸 Erwin Olaf guided tour at f3 freiraum für fotografie: July 5, 11am-12:30pm | The pioneering LGBTQ+ photographer
🎶 Heroines of Sound Festival: Day 1: July 9 | Celebrating women and non-binary composers in electronic music. One of the year’s most important festivals
🏳️🌈 Queer Ancestors Workshop: 5000 years of queer history: July 9 | At Mouse & Bear Books. Powerful and educational
🧩 How to Create an Autism-Friendly Environment: July 10 | Important learning for workplaces, homes and communities
🍹 SUMMER HOLIDAYS: three-phase sensory tasting ritual: July 10
🎨 FLINTA* Kultur Salon #2: transgenerational trauma, mental health, belonging: July 10 | Curated event for FLINTA* artists with migration backgrounds
☀️ Indian Summer Fest 2026: July 11 | Music, food and culture from the Indian subcontinent
🌍 AFROGERMANY FESTIVAL 2026: 130 Years of History: July 11 | Honoring Black German history and community. Not to miss
🎭 English Comedy in an Art Gallery (Mitte): July 11
🕺 Dirty Dancing Party: 80s & 90s Love, 3 Floors & Karaoke Disco Special: July 11
💃 Girls Town: FLINTA* Party at SO36: this weekend | One of Berlin’s longest-running FLINTA* parties. Safe space, big energy
🧘 Sunday Yoga Coffee Club for Women: July 12 | Yoga followed by coffee and community
✍️ Walking & Writing: 1-Day Creative Writing Workshop: July 12
☕ PERREO BRUNCH & COFFEE RAVE #3: July 12 | Reggaeton, brunch and dancing. What more do you need on a Sunday?
👩💻 Women in Tech Berlin: Networking Evening: July 8 | Industry leaders, mentors and real conversations
IWB, with +40k members, is a very active community. Given that you might not have time to catch up on everything and some good posts may get overlooked, here are a few highlights from our group, from the last week:
😔 “My husband of 11 years told me at a festival: ‘you are the most beautiful to me, but look at her’ and pointed at a woman half my age”: the post that broke everyone’s heart this week. Go read the responses 💜
💸 “Good enough salary in Berlin for a solo woman to live comfortably and save?”: the numbers we all want to know but never say out loud
🥚 “Egg freezing story”: vulnerable, honest and important. Go read
🥺 “Body weight comments from family”: the universal wound. Support and wisdom in the comments
😮💨 “Filing taxes late / asking for extension: how to?”: with July 31 deadline coming, this is urgent
🚗 “Frustrating driving lessons”: the German driving school experience in one thread
💜 “A story that reminds us there are still truly kind people here”: the ray of sunshine we all needed this week
🪟 “Has anyone bought heat reflective film for their windows?”: heatwave problem-solving from the community
🍑 “Exercises to grow booty”: the fitness thread of the week
We’re a small team of immigrant women (mostly women of color) doing this voluntarily, every week, to support this amazing community. As we grow, so do our invisible tasks to keep IWB running. As a community member, your help means everything. 💖 We aim to keep IWB free, independent, helpful and inclusive, while paying immigrant women fairly for their work. Help us in this mission, starting with ✨ONLY✨ 1€:
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Wishing you a fantastic week ahead! 💖