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Government officials take more sick leave

Sick leave by administration officials costs the Flemish government more than €37 million a year, according to figures contained in a parliamentary answer by government affairs minister Geert Bourgeois. There are 13 Flemish ministries, which together registered 194,337 days of absence due to illness in 2010, about six working days in every 100. That compares with a rate of 4.42 days for the Flemish population as a whole. “Not exactly a performance to be proud of,” according to parliament member Marnic De Meulemeester, who tabled the question.

According to Bourgeois, the figure is "on a par with what you might expect from a large organisation, including ones in the private sector". In general, he explained, the larger the organisation, the higher its sick leave rate was likely to be. The Flemish government also has a policy of encouraging workers who are ill to remain at home to prevent making colleagues sick.

Meanwhile, a study carried out by the Neutral Union for the Self-employed (NSZ) has revealed that more people are taking sick days now than five years ago and that workers are more likely to be sick on Monday (44% of all cases) and Friday than any other day. The survey was carried out among staff at 386 small- and medium-sized businesses.

(April 13, 2024)