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3 clusters · 9 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated

Rising mental health and stress-related absenteeism in NL

Overview

The Netherlands is experiencing a significant rise in absenteeism linked to mental health and stress. Data from Arbo Unie indicates that absenteeism due to anxiety, mood, and substance disorders increased by 35.9 percent between 2023 and 2025, with a 63 percent rise among workers aged 25 to 35.

Recent data from occupational health services ArboNed and HumanCapitalCare shows a 12 percent increase in lost workdays due to stress over the past year, contributing to a 49 percent increase over a five-year period. The duration of absence is notably high, averaging 257 days for stress-related issues and 338 days for burnout. Contributing factors include high workloads, financial concerns, and caregiving responsibilities. Statistics indicate that women experience stress-related absenteeism at roughly twice the rate of men, often with longer durations of absence.

In response, stakeholders signed the ‘Sterk door Werk’ covenant to focus on proactive prevention. Experts, including Robert Wondaal of Robidus Services, note that late intervention leads to the loss of talent in a tight labor market, arguing that early recognition of overload is more cost-effective than recovery efforts.

Employment trends are also shifting. While fewer workers are leaving for new jobs or businesses—dropping from approximately 42 percent in 2022 to over 38 percent in 2025—forced dismissals due to economic reasons have risen from nearly 5 percent to over 8 percent. Analysts suggest these shifts may be driven by labor market tightness and an aging workforce.

Entities

TNO · Peter Hein van Mulligen · HumanCapitalCare · ArboNed · Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Stress-related absenteeism rises in the Netherlands

    Stress-related absenteeism in the Netherlands has risen 49 percent over five years, with burnout causing long-term absences. Experts urge early prevention to retain talent and manage rising workloads.

  2. 6 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 5 sources
    Netherlands labor market sees rise in mental health absenteeism and shift in job turnover

    New data from the Netherlands shows a 35.9% rise in mental health-related absenteeism and a decline in employees leaving jobs for new opportunities due to labor market tightness.

  3. 7 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Dutch insurers launch initiative to prevent mental health absenteeism

    Dutch insurers and partners have launched the ‘Sterk door Werk’ covenant to prevent mental health-related absenteeism, while TNO reports highlight the high financial costs of sick leave for employers.

Sources

agf.nl · flexmarkt.nl · ggznieuws.nl · nieuws.nl · nos.nl · personeelsnet.nl · riskenbusiness.nl · welingelichtekringen.nl · wijzuidholland.nl

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history