Sickness absence rises to 4.9% in September
Sickness absence rose in September from August, and new sick reports jumped by almost half, even in a warm month, the occupational health services say.
The absence rate rose to 4.9% in September, up from 4.6% in August, the occupational health services HumanCapitalCare and ArboNed reported. Together they support almost 1 million employees. In September last year the rate was 4.7%.
The number of sick reports rose from 39 to 58 per 1,000 employees, an increase of 49%. That happened despite the warm weather in September.
Absence is higher than a month and a year earlier
% · September 2025–September 2026
Absence is higher than a month and a year earlier (%). From 4.7 in September 2025 to 4.9 in September 2026; highest 4.9 in September 2026, lowest 4.6 in August 2026. Source: HumanCapitalCare and ArboNed.
View data
| Item | % |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 4.7 |
| August 2026 | 4.6 |
| September 2026 | 4.9 |
Iris Homeijer, company doctor and medical director at HumanCapitalCare, said: "You might expect that at such temperatures colds and other flu complaints play hardly any role, but we don't see that in the sick reports."
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