In the news we read this week that women call in sick more often than men. Why is that?
Some statistics
Why are women more absent?
The first thing that might come to mind is pregnancy. And indeed, the fact that women are more absent is partly due to illness during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Another factor is that differences in the work situations of men and women have not been taken into account. The industry in which you work also plays a role. If you work in healthcare, with vulnerable population groups, you are more likely to call in sick because you don't want to infect anyone. The (psychosocial) work pressure is also higher in, for example, care and education, which are branches in which more women work on average.
Another factor is that women call in sick more often than men when their child is sick. This was apparent from an earlier study by Statistics Netherlands.
De Volkskrant has made a list with five explanations for why there is more absenteeism among women.
