Despite a cold wave at the beginning of the year, the rate of sick leave among employees saw a slight decline during the first quarter. According to figures provided by the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and reported by the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” the average employee covered by TK was absent for 5.00 days from January through March of the current year. This is a reduction compared to 5.35 days recorded in 2025 and 5.16 days in 2024.
TK management stated that the cold season appears to have been milder compared to previous years, even with the cold temperatures. The primary causes for reported illnesses continue to be cold-related diagnoses such as flu, sniffles, and COVID-19. For this specific category, the average absence day was 1.32 days per employee during the first quarter. This marks a decrease from 1.79 days in 2025 and 1.51 days in 2024.
However, other diagnoses showed differing trends. There was a noticeable increase in sick days taken due to psychological diagnoses, such as depression or anxiety disorders, averaging 0.99 missed days per employee. This is an increase from 0.92 days recorded in both 2025 and 2024. Taking third place were musculoskeletal conditions, such as back pain, with an average absence of 0.65 days. This represents a movement from 0.63 days in 2025 and 0.67 days in 2024.
The Techniker Krankenkasse is noted as Germany’s largest statutory health insurance fund, covering over twelve million members, of whom 6.2 million are employed.