Absenteeism due to psychological complaints has increased by 1 day in 2024 compared to 2023

Why do I talk so often about stress-related absenteeism and its prevention? Well, here’s why! ⬇️

At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a BNR Nieuwsradio interview with Corné Roelen, Professor of Occupational Medicine at the University of Groningen and an occupational physician himself.

If you have any doubts about whether there’s really a rising trend in absenteeism due to psychological complaints, here are the key points:

Numbers from Arbo Unie show the following for employees in salaried positions:

🔹 Absenteeism due to psychological complaints has increased by 1 day in 2024 compared to 2023.

In other words, on average, every employee reports in sick one extra day per year for stress-related issues.

🤔 Roelen and Arbo Unie calculate costs at €350 per sick day. But consider that a frontline veterinarian alone can generate €1000–2000 in revenue per day, plus the wages the employer must continue to pay during the first weeks of sick leave…

Do the math, veterinary employer. 💸

🔸 A striking point: Absenteeism due to psychological complaints now lasts, compared to 4–5 years ago, TWENTY DAYS longer—meaning a whole working month more than before.

✅ Good news: A sense of teamwork and physically working together have a strong impact on reducing these complaints.

Which is something we, in veterinary medicine, get for free!

However... that only works if team cohesion, cooperation, and communication are *actually* in good shape.

Otherwise, you’re back to square one—with more conflicts, more irritations, and more dissatisfaction.

This is why I started de Sterke Stem.

So both employees and employers can function more happily at work. 💪

It’s about creating a foundation where everyone can count on and trust each other, to collectively handle the daily stressors. 🤝

Want to know more about what can be done in your clinic?

Get in touch! ✉️

Click on the picture to listen to the interview (Dutch)

Definitions:

- Psychological complaints: Stress, nervousness, tension, fatigue, overwork, anxiety, burnout. These are also the most common complaints in the Netherlands.

- Burnout: A medical diagnosis that includes physical complaints, often wrongly used to describe other psychological complaints.