Long-term absenteeism reached record levels last year in Belgium, according to a survey conducted by HR service provider Securex involving nearly 23,000 employers.
On an average workday last year, one in twelve workers was absent due to illness. In 2024, the overall absenteeism rate increased by 4.08% compared to the previous year, with the sharpest rise seen among employees at 6.15%.
The provinces of Hainaut and Liège, along with the Brussels Region, recorded the highest rates of long-term absenteeism at 4.8%, 4.8%, and 4.1% respectively.
Medium-term absenteeism, defined as absences lasting from one month to a year, showed the largest increase, rising by more than 8% over the year. This trend was most evident among younger workers.
Certain sectors were more affected by absenteeism. In the service voucher sector, 11.10% of workers were absent due to illness for over a year in 2024, marking a 21.05% increase over two years. The healthcare sector also suffered, with 4.56% of workers on long-term leave in 2024.
“In the service voucher sector, jobs are often demanding and inflexible, typically carried out alone with underdeveloped personnel management,” commented Stephanie Heurterre, Senior HR consultant at Securex. “In healthcare, increasing work pressure, alongside existing workload, has a significant impact, evidenced by more than 10,000 vacancies in the sector.”
