Sick days: A good working atmosphere keeps you healthy
Lisa Vogel studied departmental journalism with a focus on medicine and biosciences at Ansbach University and deepened her journalistic knowledge in the master's degree in multimedia information and communication. This was followed by a traineeship in the editorial team. Since September 2020 she has been writing as a freelance journalist for
More posts by Lisa Vogel All content is checked by medical journalists.Those who feel good at work are less likely to be ill. That doesn't sound surprising at first. However, it is astonishing how much enthusiasm for work and the working atmosphere have an effect on the number of days absent: Employees who find their job meaningful and who rate the working atmosphere positively are absent only half as often as those who are dissatisfied with their work situation.
A recently published survey by the Scientific Institute of the AOK (WIdO) reveals good news: around two thirds of those questioned felt their working atmosphere was good. This had a positive effect: they were absent less often, had fewer work-related complaints and were more likely to adhere to medical prescriptions in the event of illness.
Feeling good and meaning more important than payment
"Safe and healthy working conditions as well as the feeling of doing something useful are more important to employees than a high income," says Helmut Schröder, deputy managing director of WIdO.
The most important thing for employees is to feel comfortable in the workplace (98.4 percent). This obviously includes good cooperation with colleagues (97.9 percent) and a good working atmosphere (96.8 percent). Just as many of the employees surveyed would like the company to be loyal to its employees. A good relationship with the supervisor is also important for the majority.
There is a gap between desire and reality
"For most employees, personally and socially motivated aspects of their work are particularly important for a meaningful life," says Schröder. “Unfortunately, here in particular, desire and reality often do not match.” Only 69.3 percent of those surveyed said that their employer was loyal to them. According to the WIdO survey, only 78 percent of employees experience a positive working atmosphere.
"If companies want to promote the health of their employees and remain attractive as employers, they should convey more loyalty to their employees and specifically promote trusting cooperation across the hierarchy levels," says Schröder.
Dissatisfaction doubles absenteeism
On average, the respondents were absent on 12.1 days in the calendar year.However, those who felt good only stayed at home for 9.4 days due to illness. Job dissatisfaction, on the other hand, had an average of 19.6 days of absence. AOK insured persons between 16 and 65 years of age were surveyed in 2030.
More absenteeism due to mental illness
The number of days absent due to mental illness has risen rapidly: in the last ten years it has increased by 67.5 percent. This is shown by the recently published AOK Absence Report 2018. Those who suffered from depression, anxiety, burnout or other mental illnesses lost an average of 26.1 days in 2017. That is more than twice as long as the average absenteeism.
