The absenteeism rate reached 7.68% in 2025, the highest on record in Spain, according to The Adecco Group Institute based on INE data. The indicator estimates that each worker lost an average of 10.9 hours of work per month to absenteeism. In this context, Woffu’s data allow a deeper look into one component of these absences: the duration of sick leaves.
The analysis, based on 2,017,319 absence requests from 4,334 companies during 2025, shows a particularly striking difference between the median and the mean duration of sick leaves: 2 days versus 15.9 days.
The difference reflects a highly uneven distribution. Half of the leaves analyzed lasted two days or less, while processes that extend for weeks or months significantly raise the average.
“The absenteeism rate is only the big picture. When you look inside, you see two very different realities: a large majority of short absences resolved in a couple of days and a small group of long processes that are the real strain on teams. Managing both the same way is a mistake,” explains Elisabeth Marín, CEO of Woffu.
One in four sick leaves begins on Monday
The start day of sick leaves also shows an uneven distribution. 26% begin on Monday, compared with the 20% that would correspond to each workday if distributed evenly between Monday and Friday.
The pattern is different when looking at all absences: 53% begin on Monday or Friday, compared with 40% that would correspond to an even distribution. In the case of a one-day vacation, Friday accounts for 144,175 requests, versus about 53,000 logged on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Beyond the total volume of absenteeism, these data point to the importance of analyzing how absences are distributed and how long the processes last—two variables that can offer a different picture of their impact on organizations.
«That many leaves begin on Monday should not be read as suspicion: a large portion of the processes that start over the weekend are reported on the first business day. What matters for companies is to have real-time data to anticipate coverage and plan shifts, rather than reacting when the problem is already on them,» adds Marín.
