According to the commercial health insurance company, back problems are the most common reason for absences from work for the first time. One reason for this could be the home office. The mental workload also increased.
For the first time in years, back problems are the most common reason for sick leave in Germany. One explanation for this could be the working conditions in the home office, according to the commercial health insurance company (KKH). At home there is often a lack of a suitable desk and office chair, and sitting in front of the computer in an unhealthy position leads to more neck, shoulder and back problems.
The KKH data from the first half of 2021 show that nationwide around a fifth (20.4 percent) of the certificates submitted are due to musculoskeletal disorders. In the first Corona year 2020, the share was still 17.3 percent, the years before it fluctuated between 15 and 16 percent.
The number of cases and the duration of illness are increasing
Compared to other diagnoses, not only the number of cases of back ailments increased, but also the duration of the illness: In 2021, the KKH attributed 25.4 percent of the days of absence to diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In previous years, the proportion fluctuated between 22 and 23 percent.
According to the KKH, mental stress can also cause tension and pain: For example, the corona-related economic crisis, existential fears, insecurity and the feeling of loss of control hit the soul.
As the KKH explained, working from home is also blurring the boundaries between work and private life, for example when the commute from bed is no longer necessary and work calls and e-mails are made long after work.
The KKH is one of the largest national statutory health insurance companies with more than 1.6 million insured persons. It evaluated the number of calendar days with a medical certificate from compulsorily insured and voluntarily insured members for the first half of 2021 – excluding the unemployed and pensioners.
