Average absenteeism rate in the Netherlands increases substantially

60% of sick reports caused by Covid-19

In February 2022, the average absenteeism rate in the Netherlands continued to increase (5.5% compared to 5% in January 2022). Only in March 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, were absenteeism rates higher. The increase is mostly caused by an increase in the number of Covid-19 infections; 60% of all sick reports were the result of Covid-19, according to figures of occupational health & safety services HumanCapitalCare and ArboNed, which are both part of the HumanTotalCare group and jointly work for approximately 1 million employed persons and 63,000 employers. In order to limit the number of absent employees due to Covid-19 and the emerging influenza wave, we recommend to continue following the basic rules and take advantage of the possibilities of working from home.

Covid-19 continues to be the number one cause of absenteeism

Of all the sick reports in February, 60% were related to Covid-19. “That makes Covid-19 still the number one cause of absenteeism, while the influenza rate of 15% was relatively low,” says Jurriaan Penders, medical officer and director of medical affairs at HumanCapitalCare. “In January, for the first time, half the sick reports were caused by Covid-19. This trend continued to increase to 60% in February. On the other hand, employees return to work faster after having been infected with Covid-19; 83% return to work after two weeks, compared to January when this was 76%.”

Major differences

There can be major differences in the absenteeism rates between different sectors and between companies of different sizes. “The three sectors with the highest absenteeism rate are the healthcare sector with 7.8%, the education sector with 6.5% and the industrial sector with 6.4%. This is partly due to limited possibilities for working from home and as a result it is less possible to continue working in case of mild Covid-19 symptoms,” says Penders. “There are also major differences between companies of different sizes. The absenteeism rate of SMEs (4.9%)—companies with less than 200 employees—is, as always, lower than in large companies.”

Focus on preventing absenteeism

Fortunately, the high number of Covid-19 infections has not led to an alarming number of hospital admissions. However, the impact of workplaces on the number of infections and vice versa remains noticeable. For instance, one out of five employees with Covid-19 state that their workplace might have been the source of infection. Penders: “It is important to prevent employees from getting sick in order to ensure the continuity of companies and limit the work pressure of employees. In addition to a high number of Covid-19 infections, an influenza wave has also started last week in the Netherlands. You can also decrease the risk of an influenza infection by following the basic rules, such as washing your hands and staying home in case of symptoms. In addition, we recommend employers and employees to continue to benefit from the possibilities of working from home, which besides the advantages it provides, also helps prevent infections.”