According to an evaluation by the Techniker Krankenkasse, there has been a significant increase in employee absences due to illness this year. By the beginning of December, sick leave as a proportion of days absent on all working days averaged 5.14 percent, as determined by the health insurance company based on preliminary data from its employed insured persons. The absences were therefore already higher than in the entire previous year with a share of 3.98 percent and above the previous maximum sickness rate of 4.25 percent in 2018.

Cashier Jens Baas told the German Press Agency that the main reason for the significant increase this year was respiratory infections and colds. It is striking that waves of cold also played a major role at atypical times with unusual highs - mainly in July and October.

In November, the sick leave rose to 5.77 percent after 4.92 percent in the same month last year, as the analysis showed. The background was still predominantly respiratory diseases. Due to increased numbers at the end of November, “extraordinarily high sick leave rates” can also be expected in December.

According to the information, the basis of the evaluation is data from 5.5 million employees who are insured with the Techniker Krankenkasse - employees and recipients of unemployment benefit I. Sickness reports are currently available up to and including November and the beginning of December, with latecomers still to be expected, explained the cash register.