Spain’s debate over workplace absenteeism escalated after Alberto Núñez-Feijóo, president of the Partido Popular (PP), publicly addressed the country’s high rates of sick leave. His comments, delivered without warning amid a tense pre-election climate, drew criticism from left-wing parties and unions. The controversy centers on absenteeism’s economic and social costs, which remain significantly higher in Spain than in most of Europe, and on whether the problem is chiefly a healthcare and labour-management challenge or a failure of controls.
Business estimates underline the scale of the issue, though they measure different things. CEOE director of Employment, Diversity and Social Protection Rosa Santos said figures for 2025 recorded about 9.2 million temporary sick-leave cases, equivalent to 7.2% of the working population. Around 1.7 million people were absent from work each day, including approximately 1.5 million on temporary incapacity leave for common illnesses. CEOE put the annual economic burden at €33 billion: about €16 billion paid by Social Security and €17 billion borne by companies. Santos presented those figures at a Labour Absenteeism Forum organized by the Confederación Empresarial de Navarra on 20 October 2026.
The consumer-goods sector has cited a separate estimate of about €36 billion. Ignacio González, president of the Asociación de Fabricantes y Distribuidores (AECOC), said its estimate placed absenteeism among Spain’s largest economic burdens and reported that it had tripled between 2018 and 2023. AECOC also said 17% of absenteeism recurred several times a year, particularly among workers aged 15 to 44. González called for a measured response targeting inefficiency and fraud without attacking health rights: “We are not attacking illness or workers’ rights; we are addressing inefficiency and fraud.”
The competing figures also reflect a dispute over definitions. Temporary incapacity, including medically certified leave, is not the same as unauthorized absence. Broad absenteeism totals can combine sick leave with other legally protected or unpaid time away from work. Business groups have called for stronger monitoring of ordinary sick leave, while unions say waiting lists for tests, surgery and rehabilitation can prolong medically justified absences. CEOE’s Santos said delays in healthcare are part of the problem: “First, we have a health problem; when there are waiting lists and a shortage of resources, workers do not recover within the time they should.”
Health data add context to the debate. Figures for 2025 cited by Segre counted 194,953 mental-health-related sick-leave cases, or 8.8% of common-contingency cases. Mental-health absences accounted for more than 15 million days that year, about a quarter of all sick-leave days, and were the second-largest cause of temporary-incapacity days. Along with an aging population and chronic illness, delays in access to care point to structural factors behind lengthy absences. Mental-health leave has been reported to last nearly 100 days on average. Self-employed workers face a different pressure: less favourable compensation rules can lead some to delay taking sick leave.
Feijóo’s proposals have opened an institutional dispute over who should assess and manage temporary incapacity. His position has been described as favouring stronger controls and a broader role for collaborating mutual insurers. Pepe Álvarez, secretary general of the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), rejected allowing mutual insurers to issue or end sick leave independently. Speaking on TVE and EFE’s Los Desayunos on 22 October 2026, he said: “Mutual insurers cannot issue sick leave or discharge workers, because doctors are not free.” The disagreement concerns the boundary between administrative verification and clinical judgment. These are political positions, not an enacted statutory change.
Feijóo’s intervention has proved politically risky. His remarks included a controversial metaphor, prompting him to clarify his position and send party spokespeople to contain the fallout. Even Santiago Abascal, leader of VOX and a frequent ally in confrontational debates, has distanced himself from the discussion, leaving Feijóo to manage the backlash. Feijóo has also said, “I have always supported trade unions,” as the dispute has widened into a debate about labour relations and the future governance of social protection.
Calls for reform are not new, but the topic’s political sensitivity has made meaningful change difficult. Madrid’s regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso recently voiced support for Feijóo’s stance, stressing the need to balance worker protections with economic sustainability. As detailed in this analysis of the controversy surrounding sick leave policies, the debate now centers on preventing fraud while protecting workers’ rights and addressing the financial strain on public and private sectors.
Spain’s struggle with absenteeism reflects wider challenges in the labour market and public health. The issue remains a flashpoint for political conflict as parties prepare for upcoming elections. Any future government seeking to address it will have to reduce costs and identify abuse while preserving workers’ rights and the independence of medical decisions. The debate shows how difficult structural changes can be in a system affecting millions of workers and the national economy.
For context, Spain’s absenteeism rates have ranked among the highest in Western Europe over the past decade. The country’s labour laws provide sick-leave protections, while business groups warn about sustainability and possible abuse. Efforts to tighten controls or reform the system have repeatedly met political resistance. As the discussion continues, the balance between safeguarding worker health and ensuring economic productivity remains central to the national conversation.
