About €1.9 billion paid in sick leave during second lockdown

The second coronavirus wave which started at the end of the summer has already cost the Netherlands nearly 1.9 billion euros in sick leave. That totals 800 million more than during the first wave, a 72 percent increase, according to claimed by Acture, a private advisor and consultancy firm which handles sick leave benefits on behalf of other organizations.

“While the first wave was relatively short and powerful, the second wave is lengthier and crueler”, states the CEO of Acture, Maudie Derks. "Experts predict that the coronavirus will be among us for at least another ten years and in our view that means that absenteeism due to a virus (whether that is the flu or coronavirus) will be at a structurally higher level."

Organizations will need to understand that they will be facing this increase in absenteeism for years to come. The sick leave costs are on top of the costs society is taking on to keep businesses afloat and people employed, she noted.

Acture is monitoring the developments via their Virusmonitor, previously known under the name Flu Monitor to create an overview of the financial impact of flu complaints. The company is primarily focused on the Dutch temporary employment sector and offer employers complete cost control in the event of illness and disability.