Absence calculator
Quickly calculate how much absences cost your company — and how much you could save by improving work ability management.
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Impacts of absences with different percentages
| Sick leave percentage | Total annual sick leave days | Total annual sick leave costs |
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See quickly what sick leave really costs
Sick leave often costs more than you expect. With this calculator, you get a quick estimate of what absences cost your company — and how even a small improvement can make a visible difference in euros.
How the calculator helps you:
- See the cost of sick leave in minutes
- Get an estimate of your potential savings
- Easy to use, no background data needed
What is the sick leave percentage?
The sick leave percentage is a key metric in work ability management. It shows how much of your company’s total working time is lost due to sick leave.
How is the sick leave percentage calculated?
Sick leave hours ÷ theoretical regular working hours × 100
- Sick leave hours: All working hours when an employee is absent due to illness or an accident.
- Theoretical regular working hours: The working time employees were expected to work based on their collective agreement or employment contract (excluding overtime and holidays).
Example calculation
If your employees’ total regular working time is 1,600 hours per month and sick leave adds up to 80 hours, the calculation looks like this: (80 ÷ 1,600) × 100 = 5%
In this case, the company’s sick leave percentage is 5%
How much does sickness absence cost an employer?
According to estimates by the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), the value of one lost working day due to sickness absence is approximately EUR 370. This amount is not just the salary paid by the employer, but the total impact created by several different factors.
Overall, the total cost of sickness absence is often estimated to be about 2.1 times the employee’s salary.
What makes up the cost of sickness absence?
The cost of sickness absence does not consist only of paid wages. It also includes indirect costs and lost productivity. Overall, the cost is made up of three parts: direct costs, indirect costs, and lost work input.
1. Direct costs
Direct costs are the most visible part of sickness absence. The employer pays sick pay and statutory additional costs, such as pension and insurance contributions, for the period during which the employer is obliged to pay wages. This typically includes at least the day of illness and the following nine working days, if the employment relationship has lasted more than one month.
- With an average monthly salary of EUR 3,500–3,800, the daily wage cost including additional charges is approximately EUR 200–250.
2. Indirect costs
When an employee is absent, the work still needs to be done. This creates additional arrangements and extra costs, such as:
- temporary replacements or overtime compensation for other employees
- managerial work, such as reorganising work shifts and onboarding replacements
These costs are not always directly visible in calculations, but they add strain to everyday operations and increase total costs.
3. Lost work output
In many cases, the biggest impact comes from lost productivity. Based on data from Statistics Finland, one working hour produces on average more than twice the value of the salary paid for it. When an employee is absent, the company loses the value that the work input would have created.
The value of lost work input varies depending on the nature and complexity of the work, but it is typically around EUR 200–500 per day. In demanding roles, the value can rise to as much as EUR 930 per day.
Why should you track these figures?
Reducing sick leave is not just about caring for people — it is also a direct investment in your company’s financial results.
For example, in a company with 20 employees, even a one percentage point drop in the sick leave percentage can mean tens of thousands of euros in savings per year.
Tip: Use the calculator at the top of the page to see right away what this could mean for your company in euros.
What makes up the cost of sick leave?
The total cost of sick leave is made up of several elements:
- direct salary costs and employer social insurance contributions
- replacement costs or overtime pay
- lost productivity and delayed deliveries
- administrative work, such as payroll processing and manager time
Example
Let’s imagine a consulting company with 50 employees and a sick leave percentage of 4%.
When sick leave is reduced to 3%, the company can achieve significant savings over the year. These savings can be used, for example, to develop employee wellbeing — actions that support coping at work and help prevent future absences.
How to reduce the cost of sick leave
Early support
Sick leave often develops gradually. With early support, you can spot changes in work ability in time and act before absences become long and costs increase. Clear processes and timely conversations help employees stay at work and reduce the costs caused by sick leave.
Occupational health collaboration
Good collaboration with occupational health services helps prevent sick leave and shorten its duration. When the employer, the employee, and occupational health work together, work ability challenges can be addressed early and solutions can be found that support staying at work and reduce absence-related costs.
Work ability management
Strong work ability management helps anticipate sick leave and control the costs it creates. When work ability is monitored systematically and supported in everyday management, issues can be addressed early and employees can be supported in continuing at work in the long term.
FAQ
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The sickness absence rate is not just a statistic. It directly reflects your company’s financial performance and your employees’ well-being.
- Cost control: The higher the rate, the higher the costs. These include lost work, hiring substitutes, and paying overtime.
- Industry benchmarking: Average sickness absence rates vary by industry. For example, the rate is often lower in expert and office work than in heavy industry or healthcare. It is useful to compare your own figures with the average in your sector.
- A tool for work ability management: An upward trend in absences is a warning sign and calls for early support actions. A downward trend shows that investments in employee well-being are working.
Keep in mind: The percentage alone does not tell the whole story. You should also look at the length of absences. Are they short-term illnesses like seasonal flu, or longer periods that may signal a risk of long-term work disability?
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In many expert and professional fields, the sickness absence rate is typically 2–4%.
More important than a single number is to track changes over time and act early if the situation starts to change. -
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On average, one sick leave day costs the employer about €370. In demanding expert roles, the cost can be significantly higher.
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Yes. Early support, good collaboration with occupational health services, and systematic work ability management are effective ways to reduce sickness absence and its related costs.
Regardless of how many employees you have, our task is to support you in these matters and help manage absences.
Read more about collaboration with occupational health services
Read more about work ability management