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Sick to work: How 63 percent of Germans work despite being sick!
A study shows that 63% of Germans work despite being sick. The causes and effects of presenteeism are examined.
Sick to work: How 63 percent of Germans work despite being sick!
In Germany, 63 percent of employees worked despite illness last year, as a new study by the DGB Good Work Index shows. What is particularly alarming is that 44 percent of those surveyed said they had worked sick for a full week or longer. Presenteeism increased sharply after the end of the corona pandemic; In 2021, only 48 percent of those surveyed said they had worked at least one day while sick. In 2024, presenteeism will again be at the 2019 level.
The discussion about sick leave in Germany is fueled by demands such as those from Allianz boss Oliver Bäte to reintroduce the parental leave day. This triggers accusations that the sickness campaign is unjustified, as poor working conditions lead to employees coming to work despite their health. High workloads, an unfavorable company culture and worries about the job are directly related to frequent presenteeism. For example, 48 percent of employees did not work sick without work intensification, while this figure drops to just 22 percent for severely affected employees.
Influence of working conditions
The study further shows that the proportion of those who have worked sick for a week or more increases from 35 percent (without work intensification) to 67 percent (with high work intensification). A positive company culture has been proven to contribute to fewer employees coming to work despite illness; If the company culture is stressful, the proportion of employees without presenteeism is only 19 percent. In addition, worries about the workplace are increasing significantly: 81 percent of employees with major worries work despite illness, compared to 61 percent of those who rarely worry.
A good working environment, which includes safe workplaces and a positive company culture, promotes the health and recovery of employees. These findings were also reflected in current surveys of the DGB Good Work Index for North Rhine-Westphalia, which were presented in Düsseldorf. They show both positive and critical aspects of the working conditions, with special features such as evaluation by employees under 35 or digital stress factors being discussed, as highlighted in the reporting of the DGB Good Work Index.