L4 as a way to spend a long weekend? The Conperio report reveals the scale of the problem in Poland
According to data for 2024, the average sickness absence rate in companies cooperating with Conperio was 7.38%. The highest rates were recorded in the logistics and automotive industries, where in peak months absenteeism exceeded 9%.
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Absenteeism in the food and construction industries also remained high.
Mikołaj Zając, president of Conperio, in a statement for Strebiznesu.pl points out that data for 2023 and 2024 differ only slightly.
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“The average annual absenteeism rate in 2024 was 0.25 percentage points lower than the year before. However, the analysis showed that absenteeism curves deviate from natural seasonal trends. Instead of an increase in the autumn and winter periods and a decrease in spring and summer, we observe unusual increases in absenteeism on Fridays and Mondays, which indicates the abuse of sick leave,” explains Zając.
One-day L4 is a hit on Fridays and Mondays
The phenomenon of one-day sick leave increased in 2024. On Fridays, the percentage of such absences was 22.8%, which means an increase of 2.5%. compared to 2023. On Monday, this indicator reached 20.5%, recording an increase of 3%. compared to the previous year.
Audits carried out by Conperio in 2024, as we read on Strebiznesu.pl, revealed that as many as 34 percent employees using L4 did not comply with the sick leave rules. Dishonest employees were caught performing paid work, renovations, recreational trips or even drinking alcohol..
Trading sick leave via the Internet is also of increasing concern.
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“This is a serious problem that undermines the reliability of sick leave and requires intensified control by both employers and the Social Insurance Institution,” Zając emphasizes.
Regions with the highest absenteeism rates
Regional analysis shows that the highest average sickness absence was recorded in western Poland (7.39%), while the lowest rates were in the east of the country (less than 5%). A record absenteeism rate of 8.71% was recorded in the southern region in October.
The Conperio report was based on data from over 400 enterprises, including large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises employing from 2 to 20 thousand. employees.
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The analysis covered sectors such as logistics, automotive, construction, food industry, gastronomy and health and beauty. The results clearly indicate that the problem of sick leave abuse is systemic and requires decisive action.
