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Absence trends at a glance — Are absences improving or worsening?
Are absences in the company changing — and if so, in which direction? This analysis shows whether absences are increasing or decreasing over time and in which teams or months the trends are most pronounced. By comparing different periods, you can identify seasonal patterns, peak workloads, or the impact of health initiatives. This way, you use people analytics to spot developments early and take targeted action before productivity is affected.
What does it mean to analyze whether there are positive or negative absences trends?
This analysis examines the development of absences over time, such as frequency, duration, and patterns.
It shows whether absenteeism is increasing, decreasing or remaining stable, and provides valuable information for HR strategy and personnel planning.
Why that's important:
- Identify trends: Positive developments can point to effective health measures or work-life balance initiatives, negative trends to burdens or problems.
- Derive proactive measures: Early recognition of patterns enables targeted interventions and prevention measures.
- Managing productivity and wellbeing: The analysis supports data-based decisions for team performance and employee health.
Based on the analysis of absence data, mixed trends with some worrying developments:
Overall absenteeism rate
- Increase in 2025: The absenteeism rate is from an average of 11.7% in 2024 to around 12.9% in 2025 increased
- Seasonal peaks: The high figures are particularly noticeable in the summer months of 2025 (August: 14.6%, October: 14.6%)
- Negative trend: The absenteeism rate shows an increasing trend over the last few months
Disease rate (FTE)
- Relatively stable: The disease rate fluctuates between 2.8% and 4.8%, with no clear negative trend
- Seasonal patterns: Higher figures in the winter months (January 2024:4.6%, November 2024:4.8%)
- Current development: October 2025 is 3.8%, which is within the normal range
Vacation rate
- Slight increase: From an average of 5.7% in 2024 to around 6.4% in 2025
- Seasonal peaks: Higher figures in the summer months, as expected (August 2025:8.6%)
- Positive development: Indicates that employees are taking their vacation
Key findings
- Overall trend negative: The overall absenteeism rate is constantly increasing
- Disease stable: The disease rate remains within normal limits
- Vacation increases: Higher vacation usage could be a positive sign of work-life balance
recommendation: You should investigate the causes of the increase in the overall absenteeism rate and whether these are structural problems or seasonal effects.
