JHL (11.08.2014 - Heikki Jokinen) The number of sick leave days continues to sink in the municipal sector. In 2013 the number of average sick leave days per employee was 16.7 days. A year before it was 17.2.
The trend has been the same for a long time; the number of sick leave has been diminishing since 2009. Then it was in average 18.6 days for each employee in municipal sector.
"The reason for sinking might be that municipalities are focusing on working ability together with occupational health", says Anne Mironen, Head of Bargaining of JHL.
Even the present economic situation in municipalities might influence the number of sick leave. "In hard times employees are staying in work more persistently and the threshold to take sick leave is higher."
There is a clear difference between women and men in sick leave statistics. While men were on sick leave in average 13 days in 2013, for women the figure was 17.9.
Many of JHL professions are on the top of the sick leave statistics: home aid, school assistants, cleaners, practical nurses, hospital assistants and kitchen maids. People working in these professions had in average 25 sick leave days in 2013.
"Physically heavy work wears one out more than for example light office work. With some symptoms it is also possible to do light work, but not physically heavy and demanding work", Mironen says.
The figures are based on a survey done by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.