Analysis: Denmark Could Free Up Thousands of Jobs by Reducing Public Sector Sick Leave

A striking new analysis reveals a significant disparity in sick leave between Denmark's public and private sectors, with public employees taking nearly double the number of sick days. This finding, reported by Berlingske, indicates that public sector workers average 13.3 sick days annually, compared to 7.9 in the private sector. Alarmingly, this gap remains even when comparing individuals in identical positions, suggesting that the issue is not tied to specific job types but rather to broader systemic factors within the public administration.

The implications of this difference are substantial. The analysis estimates that reducing sick leave in the public sector could free up approximately 11,700 full-time employees. This potential workforce boost is particularly critical given Denmark's projected shortage of welfare workers, such as care assistants, in the coming years. Beate Fabricius Ingerslev, political chief for working environment and health at the Danish Employers' Confederation (DA), notes that lowering sick leave could provide more staff for essential care services without requiring additional hires.

Several potential explanations for this divergence have been proposed by experts. Professor Per Nikolaj Bukh of Aarhus University suggests factors such as a higher proportion of employees with young children in the public sector, the potential for 'pretend' sick days due to feeling unwell or stressed, and a greater prevalence of long-term illnesses. The largest discrepancies are observed among care workers, where public employees report significantly more sick days than their private sector counterparts.

This analysis raises important questions about workplace culture, management practices, and resource allocation within the public sector. While the intention is not to cast blame, the data compels a closer examination of how to foster a healthier and more present workforce. The potential to alleviate future staffing crises by addressing this issue is immense, offering a path to strengthen core welfare services through improved efficiency and reduced absenteeism.

“

If one could reduce sick leave in the public sector, there could be more employees for care and core welfare without hiring extra employees.