Absenteeism: Sick staff value the German economic system greater than 225 billion euros | EUROtoday

Sick staff are more and more turning into a burden on the German economic system. Absenteeism prompted manufacturing losses totaling 134 billion euros in 2024. This implies that gross worth added in Germany fell by 227 billion euros. This emerges from the present report from the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Gross worth added measures the added worth really generated by the economic system, whereas manufacturing losses measure the worth of labor misplaced as a consequence of sickness.

In 2024, every worker was sick for a median of 20.8 days. Five years in the past there have been 17.1 days of absenteeism per employee. According to the present calculation, on common, someday of absence per worker meant a lack of manufacturing of 152 euros – 5 years in the past it was 28 euros much less. Accordingly, a median worker with 20.8 days of absence prompted manufacturing losses amounting to three,177 euros yearly.

The Federal Institute’s report additionally supplies details about the most typical causes for taking a sick be aware. According to this, the most typical trigger at 19.4 p.c was ailments of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. These embrace, for instance, herniated discs, muscle strains and tendonitis.

In second place are ailments of the respiratory system (flu, pneumonia, pollen allergy, and so on.) with 18.2 p.c and psychological sicknesses with 16.7 p.c. However, 28.3 p.c of days absent are additionally attributed to “other illnesses”.

In addition, the variety of sick days misplaced per worker varies relying on the trade. In 2024, the frontrunners have been staff within the public sector and different service suppliers in addition to in training and the well being sector, with a median of 26.3 days of absence.

This is adopted primarily by bodily demanding sectors: the manufacturing trade (24.8 days of absence per worker), the development trade (24) and commerce, transport and hospitality (23.9). Employees in IT and communications have been the least more likely to be unwell (14.3).

In addition to the lack of financial output, sick days additionally trigger excessive prices for social safety funds. According to this evaluation, the continued cost of wages within the occasion of sickness amounted to a complete of round 72.3 billion euros in 2024. Five years earlier they have been 26.4 p.c decrease (15.1 billion euros).

Economist calls for 3 ready days till wages are continued to be paid

In order to counteract this improvement, the Freiburg economist Bernd Raffelhüschen referred to as for the introduction of three sick go away days that aren’t paid. The economist reiterated his suggestion on WELT TV. “I don’t think we’ll find any other way than to tell someone who’s blue and partying sick that they have to bear that responsibility themselves.”

This is “stupid for those who are actually ill for a short time and ultimately suffer from it,” famous Raffelhüschen. “But everyone else suffers from those who just mess up.” They would all the time need to take over their work at quick discover.

Simply abolishing phone sick go away will not be sufficient: “Electronic or telephone sick leave is an absurdity anyway, as it makes access very, very simple.” But even earlier than its introduction, there have been already extra sick days amongst staff in Germany than in virtually all different neighboring nations. “And of course they are always systematically there where there are bridge weekends, where there are extensions of the weekends,” says Raffelhüschen. In order to curb this, the incentives must go “through the wallet”. “Most people don’t understand everything else,” stated the economist.