Since the pandemic, health insurance companies have recorded high sickness rates. Has the health of the population deteriorated so much? An investigation finds explanations.
The coronavirus is no longer what it used to be – at least in public perception. An infection is rarely perceived as a threat. Dealing with the virus has become routine. And it doesn’t look much different than other respiratory infections. One thing is still noticeable: since the Corona pandemic, employees have been reporting sick far more frequently and for longer periods of time than before. And although the pandemic appears to be over, this trend has not yet been reversed.
According to one, an average of 6.1 percent of employees called in sick in 2023. On average, employees were absent for 15.1 days this year. This is a new high, although the general upward trend has been apparent since 2007 and most recently showed a sharp upward bend during the Corona period. In weak economic phases, however, sickness reports tend to decline, as the development from 1991 to the first year of the financial crisis in 2007 shows, according to Destatis.
According to current health insurance data, there will again be high levels of sickness in 2024. The development is making employers increasingly nervous – and in some cases also suspicious. At the Tesla factory in Grünheide, for example, managers even went to check-up visits to employees who had reported sick in the summer. But economists are also increasingly concerned about the development. Ultimately, the persistently high levels of absenteeism can have a negative impact on German economic performance.
Study addresses the myth of the lazy employee
The question is obvious: Is the working population in Germany actually sicker than before the pandemic? Or are there other factors that are driving up sickness rates? This is exactly what the Economic and Social Sciences Institute (WSI) of the Hans Böckler Foundation examined in more detail – and found some surprising answers.
One of the main reasons for the increase has nothing to do with the state of health or the job situation of those affected, but rather with the statistics themselves: It is only since 2022 that sickness reports have been recorded digitally and automatically forwarded to the health insurance companies. As a result, today’s statistics simply reflect the actual sickness rates more realistically than before,
For their study, the researchers evaluated data from various health insurance companies, among other things. They obviously want to use the results to dispel one or two prejudices. “In view of higher absenteeism, some media suggest that employees stay at home more quickly when they are sick or even celebrate sick,” criticizes the scientific director of the WSI Bettina Kohlrausch. The economist rejects as unhelpful the theory that employees put in less effort in times of skilled labor shortages because they don’t have to fear dismissal. “There may be individual cases, but as a general explanation, such reductions are dangerous because they obscure the view of the really relevant causes,” she says.
Which really drives up the number of sickness absences
Instead, the WSI experts identify structural reasons in the companies and socio-demographic circumstances as decisive influencing factors. Above all, stressful working conditions, a lack of staff and a lack of preventive measures contribute to employees being absent more often and for longer periods of time. In particular, protection against psychological overload is neglected in many companies, criticizes WSI health expert Elke Ahlers. Parents’ employment also continues to suffer due to a lack of or irregular childcare offerings for children.
In addition, with demographic change, the workforce in many companies is also getting older on average. And the fact is: absences due to illness increase with age. “Although older employees are not necessarily sick more often, they are sick longer due to other illnesses,” says the WSI paper. According to the preliminary data from the BBK umbrella organization for 2024, the average sickness rate in the age groups between 25 and 44 was around 4.5 percent. Among those over 55, however, the figure was more than 8.5 percent in the same period.
Of course, corona infections and other serious respiratory diseases continue to play a central role in sickness absence – especially now, at the beginning of the cold season. According to the, in 2022 more than a quarter of all sick notes were issued due to corona, colds, flu and the like. However, due to the comparatively short duration of the illness, their share of the average sick leave was only 17.5 percent. The second most common reason for absenteeism is musculoskeletal disorders (17.4 percent), but they only account for just under 12 percent of cases. In third place are mental illnesses, which are responsible for 10.3 percent of absenteeism.
Sick to work is a dying concept
Unlike ten or twenty years ago, employees today are no longer as impressed by perceived or real pressures to be present, the labor market experts at WSI note. At that time, research coined the term “presenteeism” for employees who went to work sick instead of recovering.
If you look at which sectors are particularly affected by high levels of sickness, the nursing professions stand out, according to the WSI experts. At the same time, employees in these jobs are particularly likely to report coming to work sick. The WSI researchers see this as further evidence that there is a clear connection between working conditions and high levels of absenteeism due to illness. After all, the nursing professions are notorious for their high workload and a blatant shortage of staff.
Instead of looking for the cause of the mass sickness absences among employees, companies should focus more on their own structures and processes, the experts conclude their analysis. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of employers to counteract high levels of absenteeism – ideally by creating good and fair working conditions.
Note: This article first appeared on ntv.de, which, like stern, is part of RTL Deutschland.
Source: Stern
