One in four sick leave cases in Spain begin on a Monday

"On Mondays and Fridays, there's no such thing as sick leave, only 'sickies'," labour and union expert Lorenzo Amor said a year ago.

Since then, employers have not stopped echoing his words amid the sharp rise in temporary incapacity claims. The latest figures appear to support their complaints.

In 2025, of the 1,000,486 sick leave cases mutual insurance company Asepeyo has analysed, 263,747 began on a Monday, accounting for 26.4% of the total. The number gradually fell as the week progressed: 195,662 cases on Tuesday, 176,049 on Wednesday, 163,999 on Thursday and 136,595 on Friday.

The debate comes against a backdrop of steadily rising temporary incapacity benefits, which have increased without interruption since 2012, according to Social Security data. In 2025, sick leave linked to common contingencies (ordinary illness and non-work-related accidents) rose by 5.34%, more than double the growth in Social Security general scheme enrolment, which increased by 2.28% over the same period.

According to Asepeyo, in 2025 workers accumulated more than 339 million sick days, equivalent to the continuous absence of around 929,000 employees. Across Spain, the average duration of these cases reached 39.7 days, up 0.4 days on the previous year.

Among the workers Asepeyo covers, 1,000,486 sick leave cases began during the year, totalling 40.7 million days of absence. However, the figures varied widely by region. Extremadura recorded the highest average duration at 76.2 days, followed by Galicia with 72.3 days, while Navarra, at 26.8 days, and Catalonia, at 27.2 days, had the lowest averages.

The phenomenon is also heavily concentrated among a minority of workers. According to Asepeyo, 4% of employees account for 34.06% of all sick leave cases, almost a third of the total volume. Among the workers the insurer covers, 69% did not take any sick leave during the year, 27% recorded one or two absences and only 4% had three or more periods off work. The average cost of absenteeism exceeded 2,991 euros per employee.

In the post-pandemic era, companies have faced a deeper change in patterns of sick leave and absenteeism. Absences no longer stem solely from traditional physical ailments, but also from growing pressures, workloads and working conditions that have intensified in recent years. Mental health has now moved to the centre of the issue.

Almost half of all sick leave cases (48.61%) relate to either musculoskeletal or psychiatric conditions. Mental health issues now account for 15.66% of all cases and last an average of 136 days, far above the overall average. Their impact is particularly high in large companies, where 37% of sick leave days are linked to mental health problems.

The figures raise broader questions about work organisation, pressure on staff and the balance between productivity and wellbeing.

Mental health has become one of the leading causes of temporary incapacity. The category includes not only severe psychiatric disorders, but also anxiety, depression, chronic stress and sleep disorders. The change lies not only in the rise in cases, but also in the fact that more workers now feel willing to seek help, request sick leave and acknowledge problems that people long minimised or endured in silence.

The increase in sick leave can therefore be seen both as a sign of a growing problem and as evidence of a cultural shift: mental health has lost some of its stigma and is increasingly recognised as a legitimate aspect of occupational health. This no longer appears to be a passing trend.

The proportion of absences linked to psychological distress has settled firmly into double digits, while their average duration makes them one of the main drivers of absenteeism.

The pattern also differs sharply by sector. The average incidence stood at 49,947 cases per 100,000 insured workers, but some sectors recorded far higher levels: administrative and support service activities, with 69,588 cases; healthcare and social services, with 69,091; and water supply, sanitation, waste management and decontamination services, with 63,780. In administrative and support service activities, psychiatric conditions accounted for 12% of all sick leave days.

These sectors often involve especially demanding working conditions, including long shifts, limited resources and high emotional strain. In many cases, organisations fail to provide adequate support. When no support mechanisms exist, sick leave becomes the only visible and legal way for workers to stop and recover.