The sickness absence rate has been growing steadily in Norway for some years, but figures issued by Statistics Norway in summer 2003 show that this growth came to a halt in the year to the first quarter of 2003. Furthermore, recent sectoral statistics from the Federation of Norwegian Process Industries indicate that cooperative efforts launched by the government and social partners in 2001 to reduce sickness absence are now starting to take effect.
Following several years of steady growth in sickness absence levels, new figures published by Statistics Norway (Statistisk Sentralbyrå, SSB) in summer 2003 show that the growth came to a halt in the year to the first quarter of 2003. Furthermore, figures produced by the Federation of Norwegian Process Industries (Prosessindustriens Landsforening, PIL), a member association of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon, NHO), indicate a marked decline in the number of working days lost due to sickness absence in companies that have entered into so-called 'inclusive working life' agreements.
The SSB figures show that from the first quarter of 2002 to the first quarter of 2003 there was no change in the sickness absence rate in Norway, measured as the percentage of the number of person-days worked. The sickness absence rate remained unchanged at 8%, by contrast with the continued increase witnessed since the mid-1990s (NO9807176F). The absence rate has remained stable in most industries, and there has even been a slight drop in some sectors, in particular public sector activities such as central administration, health and social services, and education. Long-term absence among older employees has also fallen, with the 65-66 age group witnessing the largest reduction, at almost 1.1%.
Women still have a substantially higher rate of sickness absence than their male counterparts - 9.8% of all days worked compared with 6.6% - but there has been a slight reduction in the absence rate of women compared with that of male employees. For women in the 30-34 and 50-54 age groups, there were significant reductions in long-term absence of 0.2% and 0.5% respectively. The absence rate for men in the 30-34 age group increased by 0.2%, while there was no change in respect of men between the ages of 50 and 54.
The SSB figures cover both self-certificated sickness absence (mainly absence lasting up to three days) and longer-term absence, which enables a more comprehensive assessment of the total level of sickness absence and developments in this area. Of the two types of absence, longer-term absence is more prevalent. Longer-term sickness absence beyond three days normally requires a doctor’s medical certificate. The statistics for self-certificated absence are based on a survey among a selected group of companies.
Major initiatives have been taken in recent years to reduce the sickness absence rate in Norway. In the autumn of 2001 the government and the social partners entered into an agreement aimed at achieving a more'inclusive working life' (inkluderende arbeidsliv, IA), known as the 'IA agreement ' (NO0110107F). A core objective of this agreement is to reduce the rate of sickness absence by 20% by 2005. In the light of this objective, many companies subsequently entered into individual IA agreements with the social insurance authorities, committing themselves to monitoring closely employees on sick leave and to making adjustments to the workplace for older or disabled employees. By the end of 2002 almost a quarter of all Norwegian employees were covered by such schemes (NO0301104F). By June 2003 this figure had risen to 42%.
Although the SSB figures alone may not support the assumption that the IA initiative is working, this view is given further support by the sector-level figures for process industries produced by PIL. These figures indicate that sickness absence has dropped by almost 5% in companies with IA agreements. Although cyclical variations and a significant increase in the unemployment rate may partially distort this picture, it is nevertheless noteworthy that whereas the sickness absence rate has dropped in the 'IA companies' examined, it has continued to increase in other companies. One of the explanations given for this drop is that the extended use of self-certification (ie the sick employee does not need a doctor's certificate for absences of a short-term nature) - one of the more important measures in the IA agreement - has had an effect. Allowing employees more responsibility over their own situation has served to bring the absence rate down, it is argued.
Although there has been some controversy surrounding the sick pay issue, the most recent developments seem to provide support for the work carried out by the social partners through the IA initiative. Employers and trade union are now united in support for a continuation of the IA agreement. This is a long-term process, they argue, which only now is beginning to have an effect.