Absence from work
This study addresses patterns of absenteeism in the EU27 and Norway, the costs involved, policies for dealing with absence and general developments in relation to promoting health and well-being. Average rates of absence across Europe are between 3% and 6% of working time and the cost is estimated to be about 2.5% of GDP. While some countries are attempting to control costs, others put the emphasis on promoting health and well-being. The purpose of this study is to outline the overall extent of absence from work and the policies that have been developed to deal with it.
Source : http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef10431.htm