The number of sick reports rose by 67 percent in September; many flu-like symptoms

The number of sick reports rose sharply at the start of autumn in September, mainly due to more flu-like symptoms. According to occupational health and safety services ArboNed and HumanCapitalCare, the number of sick reports rose by 67 percent last month compared to August. Healthcare and education, in particular, are outliers, according to the occupational health and safety services.

Director of Medical Affairs Redmer van Wijngaarden at ArboNed reported that there was an average of 60 sick reports per 1000 employees in September compared to 36 reports in August. “So many employees being sick at the same time causes major challenges on the work floor.” The average absenteeism went up by 4.6 percent which is slightly higher than a year ago.

The increase in flu-like symptoms mainly came in sectors where people can infect each other more quickly, said the occupational services. Van Wijngaarden advises employees to watch their basic hygiene, like washing their hands more often.

Employees with severe cold symptoms should also work from home as much as possible, and it is good to ventilate rooms more often, he added.