Illness absenteeism at highest point in 20 years

Employee absenteeism will top 5 percent this year, mainly due to work-related mental health complaints. The duration of absence is also increasing. Insurer Nationale-Nederlanden (NN) reported this with the publication of its trend report on absenteeism and occupational disability. The insurer called on employers to do more to prevent health problems.

Absenteeism due to illness rose particularly in the hospitality industry, NN noted. In that sector, the number of new sick reports in the third quarter of this year was 12 percent higher than in the same period last year. Absenteeism in the health sector also remained high this year, well above the national average.

It is the first time in 20 years that absenteeism topped 5 percent. The Gatekeeper Improvement Act implemented in 2002 made employees responsible for reintegrating sick employees. Absenteeism decreased as a result, said Igno Schings, director of group income insurance at NN. “Now, 20 years later, we call on employers to once again pay more attention to the employee to prevent absenteeism and thus reduce the impending burnout wave.”

About half of the employers already indicate that employees are absent for a long time due to mental health complaints related to their work. At the same time, an equally large group indicates that they are concerned about their company due to staff shortages. Due to the tight labor market, employees are facing more work pressure. Partly for this reason, NN expects mental health absenteeism to increase further.

According to the insurer, it is, therefore, essential that employers talk about this with their staff. There appear to be significant differences between the experiences of employers and employees. For example, four out of ten employees indicate that their employer does not feel responsible for their mental health, while nine out of ten employers say they do.

NN previously calculated that absenteeism cost the Dutch economy over 18 billion euros last year. That was partly due to the coronavirus, which had more people absent from work for longer. Then too, the insurer asked employers to think of ways to ensure employees experience less work stress.