Absence Rates Report 2008. Illness- and Accident-caused Absence Periods in Austria

The Absence Rates Report 2008 is a follow-up to the first report (published in 2007) on illness- and accident-caused spells of absence from work in Austria, offering a broad survey of sick leaves and their causes. The annual average number of days on sick leave in Austria is declining both in the medium and in the long term, and it varies considerably by gender, age and activity of the employees. Empirical analyses drawing on the data from the social insurance institutions also found many other personal and operational characteristics as well as economic, economic policy and institutional factors that influence the level and trend of sickness leaves. Long sick leaves in particular negatively affect an employee's job career and are thus liable to endanger their employment and income security. Compared to international figures, sick leave levels in Austria are in the lower middle range.