Cantabria refuerza inspecciones y aumenta psicólogos para reducir absentismo laboral.
Cantabria is going to implement a series of measures to tackle absenteeism in the workplace, including strengthening inspections by the Ministry of Health, increasing the number of psychologists in health centers to address issues related to psychosocial problems, and enhancing collaboration with other institutions to promote framework agreements and agreements that optimize healthcare operations and waiting times.
Additionally, the role of a temporary incapacity manager will be developed in Primary Care to facilitate coordination of related activities, and the possibility of healthcare professionals visiting companies to directly assess work environments will be explored.
With regards to reducing waiting lists, particular attention will be paid to the Laredo area, aiming for a more equitable distribution of waiting times across all health areas.
These are some of the measures discussed on Friday in a meeting between the regional government and CEOE-CEPYME to share different action proposals designed to address this issue, as Cantabria has higher figures in this area compared to other communities in the northern Spanish coast.
During the meeting attended by the regional president, María José Sáenz de Buruaga, and the CEOE-CEPYME president, Enrique Conde, it was highlighted that Cantabria has positioned itself as one of the first autonomous communities where the government leads the adoption of measures to improve absenteeism rates.
The meeting continues the periodic meetings held by the Ministry of Health with different entities, expressing the regional government’s concern about the current situation of absenteeism due to temporary incapacity in Cantabria and reaffirming its commitment to implementing operational improvements to minimize its impact, which affects the productivity and competitiveness of businesses.
Thus, the government and CEOE-CEPYME have agreed to continue advancing in search of continuous improvements to reduce absenteeism in Cantabria.
Buruaga was accompanied by the Health Minister, César Pascual, the Industry Minister, Eduardo Arasti, and the Managing Director of the Cantabrian Health Service, Luis Carretero; while, representing the employers’ association, in addition to its president, the managing director, Francisco Aguilera, the director of SEG Automotive, Iñaki Calvo, and the managing director of Mutua Montañesa, Alberto Martínez, were present.
ABSENTEEISM IN CANTABRIA
Government and CEOE-CEPYME representatives have addressed the current situation of absenteeism due to temporary incapacity in Cantabria, which shows higher figures compared to other northern communities «in contrast to the good health of the Cantabrian population reflected in surveys, the continuous increase in life expectancy, and the data on permanent disability related to average affiliation.»
Specifically, the most significant variation in absenteeism parameters is seen in the younger working population segment, as evidenced by the comparison between the years 2018 and 2024.
A «notable increase» in psychosocial absences is evident, generating a concerning impact on younger workers, in contrast to the older population.
On the other hand, according to AMAT data, 50% of absences are caused by 8% of workers, indicating a high level of recurrence in employees with more than two pathologies separated by six-month periods, and 70% are short-term episodes, following the trend initiated since the pandemic. Additionally, Cantabria shows high prevalence rates.
Finally, both the government and the employers’ association have emphasized the importance of workplace safety, investment in risk prevention, and the creation of safe work environments. In this regard, they have praised the increase in funding allocated this year to the Cantabrian Institute of Safety and Health at Work (ICASST), the positive evolution of occupational accidents in Cantabria, and the «historic» progress in Social Security affiliation.
