Demand from Tyrol

Part-time sick leave as the perfect solution?

Occupational psychologist Andreas Hermann advocates a modernization of sick leave. "But if someone is ill and unable to work, that should not be up for discussion."

(Bild: Peter Bernik/stock.adobe.com)

Should there be "half sick"? An occupational psychologist from Innsbruck is calling for modernization due to record sick leave figures that have not been reached for three decades and is bringing "part-time sick leave" into play.

On average, Austria's employees are on sick leave for just under 15 days - a record figure was recently reached. Health insurance companies are groaning under high expenditure. "Insured persons are sick for shorter periods, but more frequently than in previous years," according to the absenteeism report from the umbrella organization of social insurance providers (DVSV).

No friend of the sick day as in Sweden
"Sick leave is annoying for everyone. It means additional costs for the employer, leads to extra work for colleagues and often leaves employees feeling 'bad'," says Innsbruck-based occupational psychologist Andreas Hermann.

A bank employee who is on sick leave for six weeks after shoulder surgery may be fit enough to work by the hour after two weeks.

Arbeitspsychologe Andreas Hermann

Bild: Business Beat

However, the CEO of Business Beat, a company that specializes in real-time employee surveys, thinks little of a day off, as practised in Sweden and currently being called for in Germany: "Should an employee who is infectious prefer to come into the office or stay at home at their own expense?" With this model, Hermann also questions what a day off would look like for a construction worker suffering from a slipped disc.

On the other hand, the introduction of "25, 50 or 75 percent sick leave" seems sensible to him. "A bank employee who is on sick leave for six weeks after shoulder surgery may be fit enough to work for a few hours after two weeks," says Hermann.

Working from home is possible for some time with a cold
One positive effect of the Covid crisis has been to equip employees to work from home. "Why don't we also use this during sick leave? If you have a cold, you can usually do some of your work online at home for a while," Hermann believes, but emphasizes that working from home is not an alternative for construction workers, for example.

"If someone is ill, injured and therefore unable to work, this should never be an option."