⚠️ SECOND MEETING ON ABSENTEEISM: MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS ⚠️
Today, we held the second meeting in the process initiated by the Company to amend the current sick leave pay supplement.
As we previously informed, on July 15th the Company announced its intention to remove the financial supplement paid during the first five days of sick leave. This measure would result in a significant loss of income for employees precisely when they are unable to work due to illness.
The Company tried to justify this decision based on two main arguments:
👉 Absenteeism data, distinguishing between short-term and long-term sickness absence.
👉 Various external studies claiming that removing certain "incentives" leads to lower levels of absenteeism.
🟢 What is Fetico's position?
After reviewing the limited information provided, we believe that the Company's own data contradict the measure it is seeking to impose.
➡️ The numbers show that the greatest impact on absenteeism comes from long-term sickness absence, not short-term absences. However, the proposal to withdraw the sick leave supplement during the first five days targets short-term absences, without providing any objective explanation as to why this measure would address the very problem the Company itself has identified.
➡️ Furthermore, reducing such a complex issue to an alleged "financial incentive" is an oversimplification. Absenteeism is a multifactorial issue influenced by organisational practices, health and safety measures, occupational health, work-life balance, flexibility, leadership, workload, and workplace culture.
At Fetico, we have consistently maintained that this issue should be addressed through prevention rather than by penalising employees.
🔥 Our approach has always focused on promoting measures that improve attendance without reducing employees' rights. These include expanding flexible working arrangements, encouraging home working where possible, promoting initiatives that enhance employee wellbeing and engagement, and carrying out a thorough analysis of the underlying causes of absenteeism.
To date, all of these proposals have been consistently disregarded.
We also proposed the creation of a dedicated joint committee to study absenteeism and work together on shared solutions, but this initiative did not receive the Company's support.
Tackling absenteeism deserves something we have yet to see: a serious discussion, robust data, and effective solutions—not decisions that place the burden on employees when they fall ill.
We remain open to dialogue, but only on the basis of sound evidence, proportionality, and the defence of employees' interests.
💚 Stay tuned for further news.
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Your representatives, side by side with you:
👯 Paula Garcia - Daniel Monfort - Tatjana Sánchez - Raül Hernandez - Guillermo Arnal - Nina Delgado - Oriol Carbonell - Júlia Campmany
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