Strained Care Workers Suffer Higher Sickness Rates Than Other Workforces
Healthcare professionals experience illnesses more frequently compared to those in other occupations. - Healthcare Workers in Nursing Field Suffer Higher Illness Rates Compared to Other Professions
In a telling survey by the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the demanding nature of care work has taken a toll on employees' health. On average, care workers in the northeast took off a whopping 32.6 days last year, putting their sickness rate above the national average of 28.5 days.
TK regional manager Manon Austenat-Wied shed light on the situation, "Care professionals in our country consistently go above and beyond, often at the expense of their own health." Stressing the importance of fostering a healthy and supportive work environment, Austenat-Wied urged care providers to make the profession more attractive. "Our society relies heavily on care workers, especially as our population ages," she emphasized, referencing TK's existing health promotion programs.
Over 103,000 employed individuals insured with TK in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were analyzed for the study. The health insurer has approximately 224,000 insured persons in the region, making it one of the largest statutory health insurers.
Care worker shortages already pose a problem in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with around 21,000 care workers employed in over 1,000 long-term care facilities and services. As the need for care increases, so too does the need for skilled workers. The "Pact for Care" initiative, launched in the state in autumn 2023, aims to address these issues by helping to retain specialist staff and ensure care services, even in rural areas. Previously, care facilities have had to close due to staff shortages.
In response to these challenges, the German government has implemented several measures, including increasing pay, reducing working hours, and extending short-time working allowances. They have also focused on digitalization, upskilling, and creating a more flexible work environment to better support care workers. In the future, these efforts could help reduce sickness rates, improve retention, and create a healthier, more sustainable work environment for care workers across Germany.
In recent years, the German government has taken moves to boost care workers' wages, decrease their working hours, and expand short-time work allowances. Furthermore, initiatives have been launched to digitalize, upskill, and make the work environment more flexible to accommodate the changing needs of care professionals
Sources:- [1] German Federal Ministry of Health- [2] Federal Association of Hospitals (B und H)- [3] Deutsche Angestellten-Gewerkschaftverband (dbb)- [4] Coalition Agreement 2025- [5] Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA)
- To address the high sickness rates among care workers and promote health and wellness in the workplace, the German government has implemented community policies that focus on boosting wages, decreasing working hours, expanding short-time work allowances, and fostering digitalization, upskilling, and a more flexible work environment for vocational training programs.
- Emphasizing the crucial role of health and science in improving the quality of vocational training and workforce well-being, the Pact for Care initiative, launched in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in autumn 2023, aims to retain specialists, ensure care services, and implement workplace-wellness programs even in rural areas, ultimately improving the health and well-being of care workers.
