In 2024, German employers spent a record amount of money on sick employees, costing the German economy 200 billion euros. For the first time, the total costs of lost production and continued wage payments exceeded this figure. According to a report by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), employees took an average of 20.8 days of sick leave that year.
(Source: Handelsverband Deutschland)
IBN comment: This report underscores the IBN’s call to include human health as the fourth pillar of sustainability, alongside ecology, the economy, and social issues. After all, a society with too many sick people is ultimately not sustainable.