Poles are taking more time off work due to illness, according to new data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), the country’s social security agency.
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The figures indicate that sickness absence is becoming more widespread and continues to rise.
Last year, 27.5 million sick leave certificates were issued, resulting in 290.5 million days of absence, the agency said. This marked a slight increase compared with the previous year and a noticeable rise from 2021.
ZUS said people are not only falling ill more often but are also staying on sick leave for longer.
On average, each absence lasted 11 days, and about half of insured workers took sick leave at least once.
Short absences were also common, with a large number of certificates issued for periods of up to five days, including many one-day leaves.
The main causes of sick leave included physical health conditions, mental health issues, respiratory illnesses and injuries.
ZUS added that stress and burnout are playing a growing role, often linked to heavy workloads and poor work-life balance.
(np/gs)
Source: PAP
Radio Poland