The Business Confederation of the Valencian Community (CEV Alicante) and the mutual insurance companies' association have presented concerning data on sick leave in the province. According to their reports, the saturation of the public health system and the lack of direct intervention by mutual insurance companies contribute to these delays in worker recovery.
The economic impact is considerable. In 2025 alone, the cost of sick leave in Alicante exceeded 1.167 million euros, representing a 130.55% increase over the last eight years. Furthermore, mutual insurance companies estimate that the system has generated unnecessary expenses of over 113 million euros in the province.
In total, 716,203 workers were protected by the system in Alicante during 2025, a 17.53% increase compared to 2018. In the same period, 223,216 sick leave processes were initiated, an 81.92% increase, demonstrating an upward trend in temporary incapacities.
“"This data helps us understand why absenteeism due to temporary incapacity for common contingencies has become a first-order problem."
The average monthly incidence of sick leave per 1,000 workers has also grown significantly. In Alicante, it stands at 25.97 processes, a 54.77% increase in eight years. In the Valencian Community as a whole, it reaches 27 processes, while in Spain it rises to 37.83.
The employers' association points out that this increase is largely due to sick leave for common contingencies —those not related to work—, especially in traumatological pathologies, where they believe mutual insurance companies could play a more active role. They argue that workers treated by the public health system take longer to recover than those attended by mutual insurance companies, which unnecessarily prolongs sick leave and affects business productivity.
“"We are witnessing a system exhaustion that requires urgent measures."
Among the measures proposed by mutual insurance companies to reduce sick leave, is the possibility of assuming comprehensive management of sick leave for common contingencies, at least in certain pathologies such as traumatological ones, including the ability to issue medical discharge. They also propose increasing healthcare resources, streamlining the homologation of foreign professionals, improving coordination between organizations, and reviewing aspects of the labor framework related to absenteeism.
From the regional administration, the regional secretary of Employment and general director of Labora has highlighted that reducing absenteeism requires a coordinated response between administrations, companies, and social agents, based on prevention and the improvement of working conditions.
