The workers of Germany, France or Denmark attend their workplace less than the Spanish

Barcelona"It's a cancer we can't afford". The words of Alberto Núñez Feijóo have once again placed workplace absenteeism in the spotlight. But, despite it being true that people who miss work – for both justified and unjustified reasons – are at historic highs in Spanish territory, what is the situation in Spain compared to the rest of European countries? The answer is unclear, as each country counts absenteeism differently: while all agree that to measure absenteeism, worked hours must be calculated in comparison to agreed hours, the differences arise when defining what is actually agreed. An example of this semantic discussion can be found in maternity leave. In Spain, these are included in the calculation, while in other countries, such as Germany, they are considered not to be hours attributable to the workers.

differences arise when defining what is actually agreed. An example of this semantic discussion can be found in maternity leave. In Spain, these are included in the calculation, while in other countries, such as Germany, they are considered not to be hours attributable to the workers.

Therefore, since each country calculates it differently, absenteeism between states is incomparable as such. However, Eurostat does publish data showing the gross absences of workers in each country. The figures, however, include employees who are absent without justification as well as others who are absent because they have gone on holiday, a variant that is not taken into consideration when we talk about workplace absenteeism. According to the statistical office of the European Union, the volume of average hours that Spaniards do not work stands at 12.3%, a figure above the European average, which is 10.6%.

Specifically, out of the 32 states covered by the study, during the first quarter of 2026, Spain ranks as the eleventh country where the least work was done. However, countries like Denmark (16.7%), France (14.6%), the Netherlands (13.7%), or Germany (12.6%) rank higher. Furthermore, according to data collected by Eurostat, absences in Nordic countries stand out: Norway heads the ranking with 19.7%, while Sweden (16.7%) and Finland (14.8%) also rank well above the European average. These results are explained by the generous leave policies granted there. On the other hand, there are Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.6%), Romania (2.2%), and Bulgaria (3.1%).

Possible causes

However, returning to the situation in Spain, it is true that absenteeism data has been on the rise, driven by an increase in work-related absences. According to the latest available report, prepared by the General Council of Social Graduates of Spain, temporary incapacity benefits for workers contributing to the general regime have gone from accounting for 3.41% in 2019 to 5.81% in 2025, representing a 70% increase. Furthermore, it should be noted that, as detailed in the same study, these figures have not been driven by an increase in their duration, but rather by their more frequent initiation.

Social graduates, however, point out that the current scenario is due to a "complex multifactorial interaction" of causes. The most relevant is the aging population: with greater age comes a higher risk of suffering from illnesses. It should be considered that in recent years company workforces have aged. In fact, as detailed in the report in question, between 2019 and 2025, the group of workers aged 50 to 64 increased by 1.5 million affiliates, representing a growth of 36.3%.

During this same period, there have also been regulatory changes that have impacted the data. On the one hand, Article 52 of the Workers' Statute was repealed, which allowed companies to make an objective dismissal of individuals who were on sick leave. This tool, until then, served as a deterrent, as long-term temporary incapacities, in case of dismissal, no longer appeared in the count. The expansion of work-life balance leave, such as parental leave, which in 2025 became 19 weeks, has also contributed to the rise in absenteeism figures.

In addition, the situation in primary care centers would also have had an influence. Waiting lists, as the report points out, slow down the monitoring of temporary incapacities, which prolongs short-term absences. Another factor that has had an impact has been the digitalization of absences: not having to hand in any physical paper to the workplace would have caused "immediate monitoring mechanisms to be diluted".

Receiving 100%

However, the points that Alberto Núñez Feijóo has highlighted most this past week have been the mechanisms established in different collective agreements for companies to supplement sick leave. In Spain, by default, when an employee is on sick leave, they do not receive pay for the first three days, from the fourth to the twentieth they receive 60% of their base pay, and from the 21st day onwards they receive 75% of their salary's regulatory base. But there are exceptions, as more and more agreements stipulate that companies must cover the entire base pay.

From the business perspective –shared by the PP leader–, these solutions would reduce the disincentives of taking sick leave. In other words, they consider that the loss of economic cost represents less of an impediment to taking temporary incapacity leave. On the other hand, from the unions' perspective, these clauses protect the vulnerability of low incomes. It should be noted that, in most cases where these clauses are applied, companies only compensate for the employees' base salary, and not for any voluntary enhancements one may receive. Thus, in many cases, it is not that one receives the same pay while working as when on sick leave.