Sick to work: The stressful everyday lives of our health heroes!

Employees in the health, social and educational sectors show higher rates of illness compared to other sectors. According to a report by ver.di, the high levels of stress during work are the main cause of these cases of illness and not “sick parties”. 75% of health workers often feel rushed, while 62% in the field of education and teaching are exposed to this stress. What is particularly striking is that 72% of employees in daycare centers regularly suffer from noise pollution.

Almost a third of employees in daycare centers, health, care and social facilities report frequent conflicts with clients or patients. The study also shows that only 36% of healthcare workers believe they will be able to work until statutory retirement age, which also applies to the areas of education and teaching as well as homes and social services. Many employers do not meet their legal health protection obligations, as only 28% of employees in the education and teaching sector received a risk assessment in the last two years. In the healthcare sector it was 33%, in the homes/social services sector it was 36%.

Increased sickness absences and their consequences

The number of sick reports has increased recently, which is partly due to improved statistical recording. It is also noteworthy that 70% of employees go to work sick, often out of fear of losing their job or not letting colleagues down. Before the corona pandemic, employees were sick at work for an average of almost nine working days per year. These numbers may have increased since then, due to the new work-from-home culture. However, “presenteeism” carries risks: it increases the risk of accidents and accelerates the spread of infections.

The consequential costs of presenteeism exceed the savings for employers if the first day of sickness is not paid. Anja Piel from the DGB federal executive committee describes proposals to reduce sick leave as unfair.

In addition, relevant results for North Rhine-Westphalia were presented as part of the DGB Good Work Index. These data between 2020 and 2023 highlight both positive and critical aspects of working conditions, particularly among employees under 35 years of age. The current “Düsseldorf HR Podcast” addresses the design of good work and offers insights into the challenges and opportunities in this area, as can be found on the DGB Good Work Index page.

You can find further information about working conditions and their influences in the DGB Good Work Index here. Details on the health and work policy surveys are also available on the ver.di website visible.