Daycare and healthcare sectors lead in work-related illnesses

Child daycare employees are often out sick due to their work. One in three daycare workers became ill from job-related causes last year, according to Statistics Netherlands. A major reason for their health problems is the frequent infections they catch from the children in their groups.

There is also a relatively high rate of sick leave in nursing and other care sectors. More than a quarter of employees in these fields missed workdays due to illness last year. In these professions, the main issue is that the work is physically demanding. One in five employees in hospitals and mental health care called in sick because of high work pressure leading to illness.

Absenteeism is higher in healthcare and welfare than in any other sector. Employees there are off work 7.3 percent of the time, compared to an average of 5.2 percent across all professions. Roughly one in four cases of sick leave in healthcare is work-related, compared to less than one in five among all workers.

This places a massive financial burden on the sector. Estimates suggest that absenteeism costs amount to several billion euros. Beyond the wages employers must continue paying for up to two years, healthcare organizations also face expenses for temporary replacements and lost productivity. This financial pressure risks deepening the already severe labor shortages in the field.

When employees fall ill, their workload is passed on to those who remain, increasing the strain on them. The added pressure often creates a cycle of further absences, especially due to stress-related complaints and burnout.

For years, absenteeism in healthcare has remained well above the national average of 5.2 percent. In response, the caretaker government has proposed broad, long-term programs to address the root causes of heavy workloads and employee burnout.