The number of sick leaves has increased in Austria. While salaried employees were on sick leave for an average of 14.9 days in 2022, the figure was 15.4 days the following year. This is illustrated by the “Absence report 2024“ Austrian Institute of Economic Research. With an average of 12.9 days, Salzburg employees take the least amount of sick leave compared to all other federal states, reports the Salzburg Labor Association (AK).
WKS finds problems with short periods of sick leave
For Peter Buchmüller, President of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce (WKS), the number is still too high. According to the report, young people report sickness more often but for shorter periods of time than workers over 50. It is precisely these short-term failures that Buchmüller sees as a problem. That is why it is recommended: There should not be more money for the first day in the future.
For example, if you are sick for nine days, one day would be at the expense of the sick employee, and the employer would have to pay the other eight days. This distribution of loads is “more than reasonable” for the WKS. This would rule out accidents at work. “It is important for us that we do not make a general judgement. However, the increasing number of failures calls for action. Positive feedback has already been received from about ten companies from Salzburg.
AK scared by unpaid sick leave
“This is absurd, unnecessary and a wrong approach,” says Salzburg AK President Peter Eder, shocked by the claim in an interview with S24. It is generally assumed that all employees are sick too much – not really sick. The employer may request a medical note from day one. “If the Chamber of Commerce has a problem with the sick note, it should resolve it with the Medical Association,” AK President said.
Instead, solutions such as more prevention and health promotion in companies are needed. In Salzburg, more than half of the employees go to work despite being sick, says Eder, citing the current work climate index. 56 percent of employees are also under psychological stress at work.
The chairman of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund, Andreas Huss, sees no reason to worry about increasing sickness rates. “The alarm is certainly not being expressed,” he summed up at Tuesday’s presentation of the report. You can’t tell from the number of people who are taking sick leave too soon. He was unable to accept Buchmüller’s demand for the first day of unpaid sick leave.
how do you see it? Should the first day of sick leave be unpaid? Let us know in the comments.
(Source: SALZBURG24)