The number of one-day sickness absences has almost doubled in large Belgian companies since employees were allowed to take sick leave without a medical certificate, according to a Securex study published on Tuesday.
The change followed legislation introduced at the end of 2022, allowing employees at companies with at least 50 staff to take up to three days of sick leave per year without providing a doctor's note. Since 1 January 2026, the allowance has been reduced to two days.
Securex, working with Professor Philip Verwimp of HIVA-KU Leuven and ULB, examined sickness absence figures between 2021 and 2024.
The findings show that the average number of one-day absences per employee in large companies rose from 0.22 in 2021 to 0.42 in 2024. The increase began in 2023 and became more pronounced the following year.
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In smaller companies, where the measure did not apply in the same way, the figure rose more modestly, from 0.17 to 0.25 over the same period.
Researchers attributed the difference to the legislative change, noting that both groups had followed similar trends before its introduction.
However, they stressed that the increase does not necessarily indicate abuse of the system.
The study also found no statistically significant change in overall short-term absenteeism, covering absences lasting up to one month. Absences of two to five days also remained stable.
According to Securex, the findings suggest that the measure has not increased employers' direct wage costs. However, more frequent one-day absences may create additional administrative work and disrupt workplace organisation, leading to indirect costs.
