What does sickness absence cost your company? Figures for 2025–2026
By Charlotte Schoeters · · 6 min read
Record long-term absence, €2.5 billion for burn-out and depression, and a new employer contribution since 2026. The figures, and what an employer can do.
Sickness absence costs Belgian employers more every year, especially long-term absence. Here are the most recent figures from reliable sources, and what you can do as an employer.
The figures in brief
- Total sickness absence in 2025: 8.09%, down from 8.49% in 2024, the first significant fall in 25 years (Securex)
- Long-term absence (over a year): 3.35% in 2025, historically high (Securex)
- 3.14% of private-sector employees absent for more than a year in 2025, about 18% more than in 2020 (SD Worx)
- More than €2.5 billion in invalidity benefits for depression and burn-out in 2024, 78% more than in 2019 (RIZIV/INAMI)
- Depression and burn-out account for 70% of invalidity due to psychological disorders (RIZIV/INAMI, 2024)
Short-term absence falls, long-term absence rises
The overall picture is mixed. Short and medium-term absence is decreasing, but more people drop out for a long time. That is the most expensive form: the employee is gone for months, colleagues absorb the work, and reintegration takes time. Psychological complaints, with burn-out and depression at the top, are the main driver.
New since 2026: an extra employer contribution
Since early 2026, employers with at least 50 employees pay a solidarity contribution of 30% of the sickness benefit during the second and third month of an employee's incapacity. Long-term absence therefore costs the employer directly, not just indirectly through lost work and replacement.
And in the Netherlands?
TNO calculated that work stress caused 14.3 million days of absence in the Netherlands in 2023, costing employers about €4.9 billion.
What can an employer do?
Belgian employers are legally required (the well-being at work act) to assess psychosocial risks such as work stress and burn-out, and to include collective and individual prevention measures in a global prevention plan and annual action plan, together with a prevention adviser for psychosocial aspects.
- Map the risks: workload, autonomy, team climate and recovery time
- Address the causes first: workload and organisation of work
- Add collective measures that lower stress, such as movement during the working week
- Give teams moments to recover together, away from the daily rush
Where yoga fits in
Yoga does not replace a risk analysis or a good workload policy, and there is no hard proof that it reduces absence by itself. But research does show that workplace yoga and mindfulness reduce stress and burn-out complaints. As a collective measure it is low-threshold and affordable: an in-company class costs €150 per session for the whole group, and a day retreat or team retreat gives a team room to recover together.
Want to add yoga to your well-being plan? In-company classes in and around Antwerp, day retreats, weekends and retreats abroad, all tailored to your budget.
Discover our formats for companies →
How to sell a team retreat to your management →
Preventing burn-out in your team →
FAQ
How high is sickness absence in Belgium?
According to Securex, total sickness absence was 8.09% in 2025. Long-term absence of more than a year was 3.35%, historically high.
How much does burn-out cost in Belgium?
According to RIZIV/INAMI, more than €2.5 billion went to invalidity benefits for depression and burn-out in 2024, 78% more than in 2019.
What does an employer pay when an employee is sick for a long time?
Besides guaranteed salary and lost work, employers with at least 50 employees have paid a solidarity contribution of 30% of the sickness benefit in the second and third month of incapacity since 2026.
Is an employer required to prevent burn-out?
Yes. Under the well-being at work act, Belgian employers must assess psychosocial risks such as work stress and burn-out and take prevention measures.