Sick days up by a third

15 October 2004

BRUSSELS – The number of Belgians taking sick leave has increased by over 30 percent in the past three years, it was reported on Friday.

Flemish newspapers “Het Belang van Limburg” and “Gazet van Antwerpen” cited a report by social security experts Securex that found that the number of people taking sick live in the second quarter of 2004 was 32 percent higher than for the same period in 2001.

Securex’s findings are based on a survey of 344,000 workers including manual labourers and managers.

The report found that men now seem more likely to take sick leave them women.

The increase in male days off for illness during the survey period was 38 percent.

For women it was 25 percent.

According to Securex sick leave in Belgium costs employers two billion euros a year.

Many experts say stress and overwork are two of the key factors behind the high level of days taken off for illness in Belgium.

Subject: Belgian news