Nearly 50% increase in stress-related absence in five years: work and private life increasingly out of balance

“This increase does not come as a surprise,” says Redmer van Wijngaarden, occupational physician and Director of Medical Affairs at ArboNed. “We have seen stress-related absence rising for years. These figures confirm that this trend is continuing. The consequences affect not only employees and employers, but ultimately society as a whole. Employees struggle with their health and wellbeing, employers face long-term absence and labour shortages, and the societal impact continues to grow.”

Long-term stress-related absence has the greatest impact

The average absenteeism rate between July 2025 and June 2026 was 4.9%, compared with 4.8% in the previous year. Remarkably, just 11% of all absence notifications account for 83% of the total number of absence days in the Netherlands. Many absence cases are therefore relatively short, for example due to influenza or other temporary health complaints. The greatest impact arises when people are absent for extended periods. Stress-related complaints play a significant role in this. Employees absent due to stress are away from work for an average of 257 days. In cases of burnout, this rises to an average of 338 days.

“Most absence notifications are short-lived,” says Van Wijngaarden. “The real challenge lies in the group of people who are absent for months at a time. This affects not only the employee concerned, but also places additional pressure on colleagues, teams and organisations. If we want to reverse this trend, we need a better understanding of why people reach their limits and how we can recognise warning signs earlier, before long-term absence occurs.”

This is why the multi-year research programme DESTRESS is investigating which factors contribute to stress-related complaints and how signs of stress can be recognised at an earlier stage. DESTRESS is a collaboration between scientific partners, including Amsterdam UMC, and practice-based partners such as HumanTotalCare, aimed at the early recognition and prevention of stress. The insights gained will help employees, self-employed professionals, employers and occupational health professionals take action sooner, before people become absent for extended periods.

Stress-related complaints are often caused by more than work alone

In approximately one in five cases, the occupational physician identifies work as the primary cause of stress-related absence. In most situations, several factors play a role simultaneously.

“In the consultation room, we almost never see someone become absent due to a single cause,” says Van Wijngaarden. “Workload may contribute, but so can private circumstances such as caregiving responsibilities, financial concerns, health issues or uncertainties in daily life. Often, it is the combination of factors that causes people to struggle.”

That does not mean employers are powerless. Precisely because stress-related complaints often have multiple causes, it is important to pay attention to what employees are experiencing, both at work and outside of it. At the same time, research by ArboNed and MKB-Nederland shows that 75% of employers feel they have little influence over circumstances outside the workplace.

“Employers do not have to solve private problems, but showing interest in what is happening can make a real difference,” says Van Wijngaarden. “Stress often arises when the combined pressures of work and private life exceed what someone can cope with. That is why it is important for employers and employees to discuss these issues at an early stage. Sometimes an adjustment to work helps; sometimes different choices or support outside of work are needed. Employees also have a responsibility: taking warning signs seriously, discussing them in time, and considering the choices they can make themselves.”

Differences between workers require a broader view of employability

Stress-related absence is relatively more common among women than among men. While stress accounts for 22% of absence days among men, this figure rises to 33% among women. Employees aged between 25 and 45 are also more likely to experience stress-related absence than those in other age groups.

These differences demonstrate that the factors that place strain on people vary according to the individual and their stage of life. According to Van Wijngaarden, this requires attention not only to the way work is organised, but also to how people combine work, health, caregiving responsibilities and private life. Reducing stress-related absence therefore requires action from multiple directions.

“These figures are not only about women or about people aged 25 to 45,” says Van Wijngaarden. “They show that people do not all lead the same lives. If we want to reduce stress-related absence, we must recognise that resilience and capacity are not determined by work alone. It is the sum of what people experience at work, at home and in society. This calls for a broader perspective on sustainable employability. Responsibility therefore does not rest with any single party.”

Prevention requires attention to the balance between work, private life and health

The greatest challenge is not only supporting people who are already absent, but above all preventing absence from occurring. Employers can review the way work is organised, including tasks, expectations, working hours and the degree of flexibility employees have to shape their work in a way that suits them. Employees also have a role to play by discussing signs of stress at an early stage and critically reflecting on their own work-life balance.

“There is no simple solution,” says Van Wijngaarden. “The way we work, live and provide care is changing. Our understanding of stress and employability must evolve with it. That requires action not only from employees and employers, but from society as a whole. Only by recognising the connection between work, private life and health can we help ensure that people remain healthy, productive and sustainably employed throughout their working lives.”