Record number of sick reports due to influenza wave and Covid-19
Average absenteeism rate in the Netherlands continues to increase
In March 2022, the average absenteeism rate in the Netherlands continued to increase to 5.6% (compared to 5.5% in February 2022). The influenza wave and Covid-19 infections were the cause of a record number of sick reports: 11 out of 100 employed persons reported sick in March, 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 the course of March, influenza surpassed Covid-19 as the main cause of absenteeism.
Less Covid-19, more influenza
In the course of March, the number of sick reports due to Covid-19 decreased, while the number of sick reports due to influenza and influenza-type symptoms increased. “At the end of last month, more people in the Netherlands reported sick because of the flu than because of Covid-19,” says Jurriaan Penders, medical officer and director of medical affairs at HumanCapitalCare. “In the last week of March, influenza represented 35% of the sick reports, while Covid-19 represented 30%. The absenteeism duration also seems to be decreasing for Covid-19. Despite the record, the total number of sick reports due to influenza and Covid-19 is similar to influenza waves that we witnessed in 2018.”
Increase mostly at large companies
As usual, ArboNed and HumanCapitalCare notice a difference in absenteeism rates between different sectors and between companies of different sizes. The calling-in-sick frequency, also known as the number of sick reports, increased in large companies more than in SMEs, from 12.3% to 15.6% and from 6.9% to 8.4%, respectively. There are also differences in the absenteeism rates: the average absenteeism rate in large companies increased from 6.5% in February to 6.7% in March, while the average absenteeism rate in SMEs—companies with less than 200 employees—remained 4.9%. The absenteeism rate was the highest in the healthcare sector (7.8%), the industrial sector (6.5%) and the education sector (6.4%).
Continue to discuss what is possible
Now that everyone is allowed to return to the office, a frequently discussed topic is when a person can work in case of mild symptoms, from home or from the office, and whether to report sick. “Being sick does not necessarily mean that an employee needs to be completely absent,” Penders continues. “In case of mild symptoms, you should definitely discuss with each other what is possible. Many people prefer to continue doing some work. Because many companies have opted for hybrid working, many employees can continue doing some work from home. Following the basic rules continues to be of utmost importance to prevent the spreading of Covid-19 and influenza.”