In detail, Securex notes that the greatest increase in absences from work due to illness concerns young workers, in particular those aged 25-34. In this group, medium-term absenteeism increased by 26% between the first half of 2022 and 2024, going from 1.69% to 2.13%.
Young people spend a lot: almost 3,000 euros per year to indulge in Horeca and deliveries, much more than wealthier boomers
Workers are most affected
Long-term absenteeism in this young age group has even increased by 42% in two years, from 0.53% to 0.75%. “They move much less than their older colleagues, which affects their physical and mental health, underlines Stephanie Heurterre, Senior HR Consultant at Securex and specialized in absenteeism projects. It is therefore essential to establish a working environment which not only attracts new talents, but also actively contributes to their well-being and development. It’s also about making a conscious effort to establish a culture of movement where employees do not stay in front of their screens constantly.”.
Conversely, we observe among older workers (55-59 years) a reduction and stabilization of absences due to medium and long-term illness over the last two years. “Moreover, the greatest increase in absences due to illness concerns workers, she continues. Medium-term absenteeism among these workers has in fact recorded a notable increase over the last two years. Between the first half of 2022 and this half of 2024, medium-term absenteeism increased by 11%, from 2.97% to 3.3%. Long-term absenteeism, for its part, saw a significant increase of 9% over the same period, going from 4.64% to 5.06%.
