Solving sick leave? Here's what you need to know to gain insight
Ziekteverzuim is een groot probleem voor veel organisaties. Het kost geld, veroorzaakt werkdruk voor collega’s en beïnvloedt de productiviteit. Een echte oplossing bieden we hier niet – dat vraagt om een diepgaande aanpak en maatwerk. Wat we wél doen, is inzicht geven in de oorzaken, gevolgen en mogelijke manieren om verzuim te verlagen. Want grip krijgen op ziekteverzuim begint bij begrijpen waar het vandaan komt.
What are the main causes of absenteeism?
Sick leave stems from a variety of factors. Some causes are the employee's own, such as health problems or personal circumstances. Other causes stem from organizational culture, workload or lack of support.
Common causes of absenteeism:
- Physical complaints such as back pain, neck pain or RSI
- Mental complaints such as stress, burnout or anxiety
- Workload and work-life balance
- Lack of commitment or appreciation in the workplace
Als werkgever kun je niet alles voorkomen. Maar door goed te luisteren naar je medewerkers en signalen serieus te nemen, kun je in veel gevallen ziekteverzuim verminderen.
How to calculate costs of sick leave?
Absenteeism costs organizations more than just continued pay. Consider replacement costs, lost productivity and the additional workload for colleagues.
A simple way to calculate costs:
Case study:
An employee with a gross daily wage of €200 is sick for 10 days.
The cost:
10 × 200 × 1,2 = €2.400
This calculation gives an indication of direct costs. The indirect costs, such as reduced motivation or higher turnover, are more difficult to quantify.
3 Practical tips to reduce sick leave
While you can never completely prevent sick leave, there are ways to reduce the risk. Here are a few practical tips you can apply right away:
Encourage vitality in the workplace
- Healthy employees are less likely to call in sick. Therefore, provide a healthy workplace, think ergonomic workstations, healthy lunches and exercise.
Lees hier verder over het stimuleren van vitaliteit op de werkvloer.
Offer mental support
- An employee with stress or burnout symptoms can often be prevented by timely intervention. Consider coaching or a confidant within the company.
Communicate absence policy clearly
- Make sure employees know what is expected of them during illness. Transparency prevents misunderstandings and makes people feel heard.
Frequently asked questions about sick leave
What is included in sick leave?
- Sick leave includes all situations in which an employee is unable to work due to illness or medical complaints. This can range from short-term absence (such as the flu) to long-term absence due to burnout or chronic illness.
How many days per year are you allowed to be sick?
- There is no legal limit on the number of sick days. On average, employees report between 8 and 10 days sick per year. This varies by sector and organization.
Is sick leave a reason for dismissal?
- Long-term sickness absence can be grounds for dismissal under certain circumstances, but only if recovery is not possible or if the employee does not cooperate in reintegration. This must always be done according to the rules of the Gatekeeper Improvement Act.
Step 4: Invest in good sleep
- A sick leave rate between 3% and 5% is considered normal. A higher rate may indicate problems in the organization, such as workload, inadequate support or a poor work culture.
This blog won't solve your absenteeism. It requires targeted actions, customization and a long-term commitment to vitality and engagement. But what we do do here is provide insight into where absenteeism comes from and how you can get a grip on this problem.
Do you really want to structurally reduce absenteeism? Then an integrated approach is needed, where health, work happiness and support are central.
You know vitality is important.
Now is the time to take action. Strengthen your employee power today. Schedule a free demo with Recharge360 right away.