Workplace absence is on the rise across Europe, particularly among women, older employees and, since the Covid-19 pandemic, young people under the age of 30. Faced with this growing problem, some governments are implementing measures to limit long-term sick leave, which weighs heavily on public finances and impacts business productivity. Belgium was the first country to introduce stricter rules on sick leave, and other countries, including France, are beginning to follow suit.
With the exception of a few countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, where the rates of workplace absence are low and have remained stable for 15 years, most European countries are seeing an increase in the number of sick days taken. The latest OECD data on absence from work due to illness places Spain and Portugal at the top of the list, with a 2.3 percentage point increase in the number of sick days between 2010 and 2024. Spain also has the highest number of sick days in the European Union, at
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Article authors
Nathalie Tran
Editor-in-Chief Mind HR