Belgium Takes Stride in Employee Attendance: New Study Reveals Highest Rate in Five Years, but Absenteeism Still a Concern

In 2023, employees in Belgium were absent less often compared to previous years, according to a recent study by HR services company Acerta. The study found that employees worked an average of 83.3 percent of the time, equivalent to 208 days per year for a full-time employee. This attendance rate represents an increase of 0.8 percentage points from 2022 and is the highest recorded figure in the past five years.

The data used in this study came from approximately 390,000 employees at 30,000 private sector companies. The study considered absences due to sick leave, temporary unemployment, career breaks, and holidays. Sickness absence remained the primary reason for employees being absent from work, with an average of 7.9 percent of working hours (equivalent to around 20 days in a working year) lost due to illness in 2023.

However, the study also revealed that absenteeism due to illness was found to be higher in larger companies compared to smaller ones. Companies with more than 500 employees reported an absence rate of 9.9 percent, which is double that of the smallest employers at 5 percent. Dirk Vanderhoydonck from Acerta Consult highlighted the importance of reducing absenteeism due to illness as it significantly impacts productivity. He emphasized the need for companies to address this issue, especially in the current labor shortage scenario.

Overall, despite a positive trend in employee attendance in Belgium in 2023, companies must still address the significant number of lost working days due to illness if they aim to enhance their productivity levels fully.

In conclusion, while there has been an overall improvement in employee attendance rates across different industries and countries over time, it is essential for companies to continue implementing strategies aimed at minimizing sickness absence and maximizing their workforce availability and efficiency fully.