{"id":1132,"date":"2025-09-23T11:03:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T11:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.werknemerszorg.nl\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/calculating-absenteeism-what-does-an-employee-cost-per-day\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T08:08:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T08:08:57","slug":"calculating-absenteeism-what-does-an-employee-cost-per-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.werknemerszorg.nl\/en\/blogs\/calculating-absenteeism-what-does-an-employee-cost-per-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Calculating absenteeism: what does an employee cost per day?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Calculating absenteeism: what does an employee cost per day?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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When worries start to dominate your life<\/strong><\/h4>

Many employers underestimate the true costs of absenteeism. This is because it involves not only the continued payment of wages, but also loss of productivity, replacement, and guidance. In this article, we demonstrate how to calculate the costs per employee, why psychological issues play a major role, and how rapid psychological support makes the difference. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Direct and indirect costs of absenteeism<\/strong><\/h4>

The average cost of a sick employee ranges between \u20ac250 and \u20ac400 per day<\/strong>. This amount consists of: <\/p>

  • Continued payment of wages<\/strong> \u2013 often 70\u2013100% of the salary<\/p><\/li>

  • Loss of productivity<\/strong> \u2013 lower output from the team or colleagues<\/p><\/li>

  • Replacement costs<\/strong> \u2013 temporary hiring, overtime, or redistribution of tasks<\/p><\/li>

  • Absenteeism management<\/strong> \u2013 involvement of HR, occupational health services, or managers<\/p><\/li>

  • Loss of expertise<\/strong> \u2013 poorer customer experience or delays in projects<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

    For an employee with psychological complaints, absenteeism often rises to 80\u2013100 days<\/strong>. At a daily rate of \u20ac300, this amounts to \u20ac24,000 to \u20ac30,000 per employee. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    \ud83e\udde0 Mental health-related absenteeism: on the rise and costly<\/strong><\/h5>

    Mental health issues \u2013 such as stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression \u2013 are the leading cause of long-term absenteeism<\/strong>. Since waiting times in regular healthcare often range from 3 to 6 months, employees remain out of work for unnecessarily long periods. <\/p>

    A prompt intervention can prevent escalation and drastically reduce the duration of absenteeism.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    \ud83e\udd1d How does Employee Care help?<\/strong><\/h4>

    At Employee Care, employees can be seen within 10 working days<\/strong> for an intake with an experienced, BIG-registered psychologist. We assess not only the work context but also personal factors. This results in a targeted treatment plan focused on sustainable recovery and a successful return to work. <\/p>

    Employers cite the following benefits:<\/p>

    • Quick start without a referral<\/p><\/li>

    • Expert healthcare psychologists with knowledge of work-related issues<\/p><\/li>

    • Transparent process with direct communication (GDPR-compliant)<\/p><\/li>

    • Focus on sustainable employability and recovery<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      \ud83c\udfaf What can you do as an employer?<\/strong><\/h4>

      1. Calculate the costs of absenteeism per employee using a simple formula:
        Number of days of absence x average daily rate (salary + additional costs)<\/strong><\/p><\/li>

      2. Identify psychological absenteeism: monitor signs of stress, avoidance, or overload.<\/p><\/li>

      3. Take prompt action: do not wait until the six-week mark to intervene, but act at the first signs.<\/p><\/li>

      4. Choose a partner that can start immediately and delivers proven results.<\/p><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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        \ud83d\udc49 Would you like to know what absenteeism costs your organization and how you can reduce it?<\/strong>
        Schedule a non-binding consultation with Werknemerszorg.<\/strong><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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