One in seven employees in the private sector is absent for more than a month. This is evident on Tuesday from figures on sickness absence from the social secretariat SD Worx.
For his analysis, the HR specialist is based on data from nearly 1 million employees at 38,000 Belgian companies.
The short absenteeism (less than a month), the medium (between one month and a year) and the long absence (longer than a year) also rose in 2024 compared to the previous year. The percentage of employees that was absent for more than a month was the strongest. Because of all those absences, 10 percent of the working days in the private sector was lost due to illness in 2024.
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Medium absenteeism is the lowest in the Brussels -Capital Region and highest in Wallonia, although Flanders is working on a catch -up movement. “The increase is greatest in Flanders and among the workers’ professions: workers are on average a little more often and also absent longer,” says Katleen Jacobs, legal expert at SD Worx. But SD Worx also sees an increase among the servants. Medium absenteeism has risen sharply for employees under the age of 40.
Thirty percent is never absent
“The greater the organization, the greater the risk,” Jacobs continues. “In six years we see the total absence in the private sector rising from 8.40 percent to 10.30 percent: relatively speaking, this is an increase of 23 percent. The cost is considerable. “
The short absenteeism also rose compared to 2023, but less than the medium and long. In the last six months of 2024, short absenteeism was even lower than in 2023. And there are also employees who are never absent. “Thirty percent was not absent in 2024 in 2024,” concludes Katleen Jacobs.