Abstract
Sickness absence, or as it can be defined more precisely, incapacity to work due to disease or injury, is one of the major topics in all European countries. High level of absence can be costly for the absent person, the employer and also the social system.
It adversely affects efficiency, productivity and profitability. That is why these facts, causes and trends of sickness absence should be examined better and actions to manage and reduce sickness absence should be taken.
Sickness absence is influenced not only by workers' health. Other incentives, such as financial compensation of lost income, generosity of social system or level of unemployment have effect on its level.
Sickness absence differs according to workers' gender and age, as well. The elderly have higher level of sickness absence than the young.
Younger people have more frequent absent spells but markedly shorter than are those of the elderly. Women have higher level of sickness absence than men.
Sickness absence in the Czech Republic is much higher than the average in other European countries. Since the beginning of 1990, the number of sickness absence cases per 100 people with sickness insurance has dropped; on the contrary, the number of calendar days of sickness absence per 1 case has increased and the average percentage of sickness absence (the complex indicator of sickness absence) grew up until 2003 and then started to decline.