The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is finalizing a shock plan to address the absenteeism crisis in Spain. The sharp escalation in spending on Temporary Disability (IT) and lost work hours due to illness has raised alarms within the Spanish government, which has turned to the Paris-based international body for solutions to the serious problem of sick leave, as revealed by the newspaper El Mundo.
The problem is not trivial. The cost of absenteeism is approaching €33 billion euros this year, according to the Association of Work Accident Mutuals (AMAT), which has just published a report quantifying the total bill at €32.798 billion, split between the €16.788 billion in benefits paid by Social Security and mutual funds and the €16.010 billion in direct costs for companies. The total economic impact in 2025 will, according to their calculations, be 12.6% higher than in 2024 and a staggering 223% above the 2015 level.
The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF), for its part, has confirmed that Temporary Disability benefits have already become “the second-largest expenditure item handled by Social Security after pensions in its contributory level.” In proportional terms, it has quantified the weight of this item on the Spanish economy at 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This level is being monitored as part of the Spending Review, in a report under development where they are studying the causes and impact of this spending escalation and comparing management with neighboring countries to identify success stories.
