The increase in sick leave affected both short and long-term absences due to illness, while the rate of absences compared to attendance lay at around 4.6% last year, according to a new study.
On average, 2020’s absences lasted just under 10 days.
The study took into consideration private sector and government employees, but did not include civil servants. More absences were noted in occupations involving more physical work. The highest increase was 32% in administrative activities and 23% in health and social care.
In the financial sector alone, the number of sickness absences dropped. Social security minister Romain Schneider said this was mainly due to the fact that these employees switched to working from home due to the Covid-19 crisis.
27% of employees took time off work last year due to infectious illnesses, while 14% were absent due to Covid-related reasons. A proportion of these absences were extended due to osteopathic or mental issues.
The report did not ignore the cost of absenteeism: around 900 million euros were paid out for sick leave last year, when adding up both employers and the National Health Fund charges. In 2019, this sum stood at around 775 million euros.
