Absenteeism in Healthcare and the Pharmaceutical Industry: Understand and Take Action

According to the 2024 Absenteeism and Engagement Barometer conducted by Ayming and AG2R La Mondiale, the healthcare sector in France is particularly affected by absenteeism, with an average annual absenteeism rate of 6.62% (compared with an average of 6.11% across all sectors), mainly due to long-term absences, which account for 61% of all absences.  

Why are these figures so high? What are the consequences for employees, organisations and patients? Above all, how can the reasons behind this absenteeism be identified and addressed?

The Causes of Absenteeism in Healthcare

Absenteeism in healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry stems from a combination of structural, organisational and human factors. In both the public and private sectors, professionals face job-specific challenges that can lead to exhaustion, distress and, ultimately, absenteeism.

Difficult Working Conditions

In France’s public hospital service, professionals face irregular hours, night work, long shifts and constant pressure, particularly because of staff shortages. This workload and stress cause chronic fatigue.

In the pharmaceutical industry, production rates, repetitive tasks and the strictness of safety standards can create lasting distress.

Doctors and nurses, especially in rural areas, often have to multiply consultations, travel long distances between patients or facilities, and cope with a sense of professional isolation made worse by medical deserts.

A Lack of Recognition and Support

Despite their central role, healthcare professionals often feel undervalued. The public recognition shown during the COVID-19 health crisis has faded.
Few expressions of thanks, limited pay rises and insufficient listening and support mechanisms all undermine employee engagement, fuel discouragement and can lead to a rise in the absenteeism rate.  

Stress and Burnout

Alongside the factors mentioned above, carers are exposed to constant pressure linked to responsibility, emergencies and the management of intense emotions. As a result, they frequently develop chronic stress. If left unaddressed, this can lead to anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, physical pain and more. In some cases, this build-up can even lead to burnout and therefore to sick leave, often for an extended period.

The Impact of Absenteeism on Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Organisations

The cost of absenteeism is sometimes overlooked. Yet, like employee turnover, it can place a heavy burden on organisations and people, including both employees and patients.

Financial Consequences for Organisations

Repeated or prolonged absences generate direct costs related to continued salary payments, recruiting replacements and outsourcing. They also create indirect costs that are harder to quantify, including lower productivity, team disorganisation, and delays in projects or care.

For healthcare facilities and pharmaceutical laboratories alike, absenteeism therefore becomes a major economic factor that must be managed.

Declining Production, Service and Patient Care Quality

Fewer staff available often means less time for each task or patient. In hospitals, this can mean longer waiting times for care, lower vigilance, and even accidents and errors.

In the pharmaceutical industry, production quality can be affected by disorganised workflows or weaker quality control.

A high absenteeism rate therefore weakens overall performance and the reputation of the company or facility.

Disruption to Teams and Internal Operations

When a colleague is absent, whether for a short or long period, others often have to compensate, at the expense of their own workload and well-being. This creates additional pressure, which can lead to internal tensions, conflict and discouragement. This chronic disorganisation weakens team cohesion, increases overall stress and may eventually cause further absences.

How Can Absenteeism Be Reduced in Healthcare?

Faced with the difficulties caused by absences and sick leave, the healthcare sector must take action. A proactive approach to absenteeism can improve workplace mental health, increase productivity and strengthen the organisation’s reputation among customers and potential future employees. Here are several ways to foster a more positive and respectful working environment and prevent unplanned absences.

Improve Working Conditions

Reducing absenteeism starts with better organisation: adapt schedules, limit irregular hours to support work-life balance, reduce administrative workloads and distribute tasks more fairly to prevent overload. It is also essential to maintain a healthy, well-equipped working environment that respects ergonomic standards.

These efforts help limit physical fatigue and mental load and create conditions that are more conducive to professional fulfilment.

Introduce Workplace Well-Being Programmes

Encouraging physical activity, offering stress management workshops, and creating opportunities for breaks or relaxation areas can all support employee health. When integrated into the organisation’s culture, these initiatives also help build connections between colleagues and promote prevention rather than waiting for sick leave to occur.

Provide Psychological Support for Employees

Psychological support should not be reserved for crisis situations. By offering regular individual or group support, healthcare organisations can identify early signs of distress more effectively. Active listening, access to a psychologist and support units reassure teams, limit exhaustion and foster a culture of care and prevention in response to psychosocial risks.

teale: A Digital Mental Health Solution for Employees

To help healthcare organisations manage absenteeism and mental health, teale has developed a workplace well-being solution designed for healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical employees, managers, HR teams and more.

With our experts and multifunctional app, you can benefit from comprehensive support tailored to your sector, combining preventive and corrective measures. Training, access to educational resources, personalised support, sessions with psychologists, and the collection and analysis of key data to identify signs of declining mental health: at individual, collective and organisational levels, teale helps you prevent occupational illnesses, sick leave and unplanned absences that can be costly.