Sick leave at record high: Austria's workers suffer from stress!

Sick leave at record high: Austria's workers suffer from stress!

In recent years, the number of disease -related absenteeism has increased dramatically in the European Union. Germany leads the list of most absent days at 24.9 days a year, followed by Latvia (20.4) and the Czech Republic (19.2). Austria is in midfield at 14.9 days, which gives the responsible health experts, such as Andreas Huss from the ÖGK. Huss demands more preventive measures to stop this worrying trend, especially in view of the growing mental illnesses, which often result from overloading at work. This was also supported by Claudia Neumayer stickler, the chairman of the umbrella organization of social security institutions, that emphasizes that mental health requires as many resources as physical.

The causes of absenteeism, i.e. the conscious absence from work, are diverse. Starting with psychological problems that arise from overwhelming or lacking integration at the workplace, right up to physical illnesses such as the Covid 19 virus, which forces many employees to stay at home longer. According to an analysis, employers often describe absentism as an answer to unfortunate working conditions. A factually growing problem that also has a negative impact on colleagues who have to take on the duty of the absent. This is not only stressed out by the team, but can also endanger the general morality and productivity of the company, as