Temporary workers are ill more often

Temporary work makes employees sick more often

28/02/2013

According to an internal evaluation of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), employees in temporary employment are more frequently on sick leave than employees in regular employment. Temporary workers are on average 17.8 days of the week ill, other social security contributions just once an average of 13.3 days, as the health insurance announced on Thursday in Hamburg.

„Temporary work goes to the bones“, is the conclusion of the analysis of the TK. According to the authors of the study, agency workers, with an average of 17.8 days lost each year, are significantly more likely to be ill than employees in the conventional labor market with 13.3 days. "In all relevant diagnostic chapters, we report higher absenteeism for temporary workers in 2012“, reports Gudrun Ahlers, responsible for the health insurance of the health insurance fund.

Often injured, poisoned or pain in the back
A closer look at the data shows that temporary workers in particular suffer from back pain or musculoskeletal disorders. There is a difference of 47 percent here. Respiratory diseases (+25 percent), injuries / intoxications (+62 percent) and mental illnesses such as depression or burnout (+22 percent) are much more common among insured persons working in a temporary work agency than in other industries.

„We know from surveys that above all the job insecurity, the income situation as well as the discrepancy between the work in the temporary employment and the actual qualification load“, says Ahlers. According to the expert, this difference should also be considered in the context of sick leave. Many temporary workers would have to do physically demanding work in their jobs, more than the permanent employees.

Agency workers usually work harder than permanent employees
Given the data and facts should in the opinion of TK „Employees working for a limited period in the company are included in occupational health management measures“. It should also „It goes without saying that the user companies create a healthy working environment for all employees. But it is also important that the temporary work agencies further qualify their employees during breaks in employment and promote their health, "explains Ahlers.

The evaluations were carried out as part of the health report of the Techniker Krankenkasse. It records all sick leave and drug data of the approximately 3.9 million people insured with TK who are gainfully employed. This includes employees subject to social security contributions and recipients of unemployment benefit I. Persons not included in Hartz IV's benefits, students and family members are insured. Since 2013, the health reports of the health insurance companies have come up with a new standardization. Because of this, it is not possible to compare the current data with the figures of the reporting years prior to 2011. (Sb)

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More missing days due to mental illness

Picture: Guedo