Disease wave in the Werra-Meißner district: absenteeism increases dramatically!

Disease wave in the Werra-Meißner district: absenteeism increases dramatically!

In the Werra-Meißner district, there is a worrying trend in relation to the health of the employees. The AOK Hessen reported the highest absenteeism rate since the start of the measurements for October 2024. This represents an increase of 38 percent in the past ten years.

The number of incapacity for work rose from 44,015 in 2022 to 47,843 in 2023, which corresponds to an increase of 8.7 percent. In 2024 there were another significant number with 47,321 cases, although this is a slight decrease of 1.1 percent. At the same time, the average duration of the sick leave of 7.94 days in 2022 and 2023 to 7.7 days in 2024. This development could be due to the introduction of electronic incapacity for work that has made a more comprehensive recording of the sick leave, such as aok.de reported.

increase in mental illnesses

An alarming aspect is the increase in mental illnesses as the most common cause of longer absenteeism. The average illness due to mental illnesses takes 28 days on average. The most common mental illnesses include anxiety disorders, depression and addiction. In 2022, Germany recorded around 132 million absences due to mental illnesses, with around 18 million people affected annually. In the past ten years, the number of AU days due to mental illnesses has increased by almost 47 percent, which can be seen in the context of the current health crisis.

In addition, physical illnesses, in particular muscle and skeletal diseases as well as diseases of the airways, play an important role in absenteeism. In 2023, the average duration of a disease was 6.1 days due to a respiratory disease. The increased distribution of viruses after the Covid 19 pandemic could also have an impact on the increase in sick leave.

challenges in the health system

Demographic development in the Werra-Meißner district contributes significantly to the above-average number of illnesses. Waiting for specialist appointments delays diagnostics and healing courses, which further complicates the recovery of the sick employees. The challenges with which companies are confronted also showed themselves in a representative survey of aok.de , which examined the effects of the latest crises on companies and employees. Of the respondents, 47 percent reported strong to very strong changes in their company, with the Covid 19 pandemic and technological developments being identified as the main driver.

It is positive that employees who positively assess the future viability of their company are only 11.6 days of illness on average. In contrast, the value is 16.2 days for those who are concerned about the future of their company. This makes it clear that both mental health and an optimistic assessment of your own professional perspectives are decisive for absenteeism management.