Sickness-related absence data for 2024

Of the sickness-related absences granted by Mehiläinen Occupational Health, musculoskeletal problems accounted for 22% and mental health-related absences also accounted for 22%. The average amount of absence in 2024 was 13.1 days/employee (-0.8% compared to 2023). Long absences lasting more than one month accounted for 55% of all absence days.

Clear benefits achieved with the policy of supervisors permitting absences

Over the past three years, Mehiläinen Working Life Services customers have increasingly adopted the policy of allowing absences with the supervisor's permission, and the results have been significant. The number of days of absence with a supervisor's permission per employee has increased by 55%. In 2024, the amount of absence was 1.4 days per employee, while it was 0.9 days per employee in 2022. The benefits of a flexible absence policy agreed on at the workplace are significant:

• The policy supports trust within the work community, which promotes the well-being of the work community.
• The implementation of the policy has brought clear cost savings for companies.
• The total number of days of absence has decreased.

The growth of mental health-related absences has slowed

In relation to the number of individual customers, there was no increase in the total number of mental health-related absences in 2024. Subdiagnoses show that anxiety-related disorders have overtaken mood-related problems. This is in line with the statistics published by Kela in 1/2025.

The support provided by workplaces plays an essential role in anxiety disorders.

Given the uncertain and changing situation of the world, the flood of information and the ever-increasing pressures in working life, it's not surprising that anxiety symptoms are increasingly the cause of sickness-related absence.

The following should be taken into account and considered at workplaces and in supervisory work:

• When the political situation is worrying, it's okay for the mind to react. However, people are individuals and react to things in different ways and with different degrees of intensity. You should try to understand your loved ones and your co-workers, even if their reactions and thoughts are very different from your own.
• At best, the work itself, as well as the supervisor and the work community, can support mental well-being. In discussions between teams and individuals at the workplace, it's also important to highlight good and well-functioning things that support well-being. It's important to remember that work and being at work can protect against external factors that threaten mental well-being.
• Supervisory work and leadership play an important role. A sense of being in control and a clear framework support our well-being, while unclear work tasks and strain increase anxiety.
• Research has shown that anxiety symptoms are relieved by talking about one's own situation with another person. In supervisory work and at workplaces, we should think about ways to enable various kinds of discussions with both the employee and the team.

The specialists for this article:

Sirkku Martti
Chief Occupational Health Physician

Jouki Ratilainen
Occupational Health Physician

Suvi Suortamo
Chief Occupational Psychologist

Published 3/2025