Most medical certificates concerned a short absence of up to 5 days. There were 1.7 thousand such exemptions, which accounted for 34.9 percent. general. Subsequent groups are absences lasting 6-10 days (26.7 percent) and 11-20 days (27.9 percent). Data indicate that The problem mainly concerns men who are the majority of people using such dismissals, but not only them. Statistically, the most certificates were issued to people aged 40-44, as well as 35-39 years old.
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A growing number of exemptions in various regions of Poland
Data from the Social Insurance Institution shows that the voivodships with the highest number of certificates were Mazowieckie (661 dismissals), Silesia (542) and Greater Poland (519). Aleksandra Penz from the SWPS University explains that Poland is at the forefront of European countries in terms of alcohol consumption. As the OECD data show, in 2022. The average Pole aged 15 and more consumed an average of 11 liters of pure alcohol a year, which corresponds to about 2.4 bottles of wine or 4.5 liters of beer per week.
– It's more than the EU average. The increase in the number of sick leave for alcohol abuse does not only mean the increase in the scale of the problem. It can also reflect the growing readiness to formalize difficulties, give up hiding them from the employer, and perhaps also greater awareness of employees as to the consequences of work under the influence of psychoactive substances. Alcohol addiction is chronic and in many cases episodes of incapacity for work are repetitive – complements the expert.
Alcohol and costs for the economy
Psychologist Michał Murgrabia, president of the Platform Epsycholży.pl, draws attention to the wide effects of alcohol abuse. In his opinion, every day of absence It means additional costs for employers and affects the functioning of entire companies and the economy. He emphasizes that although absenteeism may protect, preventing greater losses related to the work of a person under the influence, the problem remains systemic. – Addiction treatment and prevention should be a priority in health policy – adds Murgrabia.
A similar opinion is expressed by Michał Pajdak, an academic lecturer at the Epsicholży.pl platform, who points out that absences can be a way to reduce the risk of accidents or errors. However, without appropriate actions, such as education or access to therapy, the problem will remain unresolved.
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The problem is not only about men
Although statistics show that alcohol abuse is mainly the domain of men, An increase in the number of dismissals among women is observed. – Women often hide alcohol problems longer and reach for help in a more advanced stage, which can significantly hinder effective treatment – explains Michał Murgrabia. The expert emphasizes that although the problem affects fewer women than men, its scale in this group should not be underestimated.
The situation of people under 19 years of age is also concerned. Although they constitute a small percentage in the data, each such certificate is a warning signal.
