According to an analysis by AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, employees in the retail sector are on sick leave more often than they have been in over 20 years.
Last year, sick leave rose to 7.14 percent – the highest value since the survey began in 2003. This means that more than seven out of 100 retail employees were unable to work every day. In 2015, according to the statutory health insurance, the rate was 5.28 percent.
For the study, data from over 100,000 insured people working in retail were evaluated. According to its own information, the health insurance provider looks after around three million insured people.
According to AOK, what is particularly noticeable is the sharp increase in days of absence due to mental illnesses. In 2024, each employee was unable to work for an average of 5.7 days due to a mental illness. Ten years ago the value was 3.9 days. Since then, the number of days absent has increased by almost 50 percent.
Trade association for abolition of telephone sick leave
The managing director of the Institute for Company Health Promotion at AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, Merit Kirch, gives several reasons. “These include high psychological stress due to intensive customer contact, the tense personnel situation, worries about the job as well as increasing cost pressure and growing competition from online retail.”
Stationary retail has been struggling with difficulties for a long time. Between August 2024 and August 2025, the credit insurer Allianz Trade registered 2,490 bankruptcies – more than in years.
The general manager of the German trade association, Stefan Genth, said: The high level of sickness puts an additional burden on companies in difficult times and weakens the competitiveness of the industry. He sees one reason for this in the sick note over the telephone. The association is calling for this to be abolished. After two years, you can see exactly whether there has been a decline in sick leave, says Genth.
The option of receiving sick leave by telephone was introduced during the corona pandemic. A permanent regulation came into force at the end of 2023.
Sickness rates are higher in other sectors
However, according to the analysis, sick leave in retail in 2024 was still slightly below the cross-industry average of 7.18 percent. One possible reason: At 37.7 years old, employees in retail are significantly younger on average than in other industries (41 years old).
In other areas, sickness rates are higher. In nursing, the rate in 2024 was 9.36 percent, in metal production it was 9.33 percent and in public administration it was 8.70 percent. The proportion is significantly lower in the finance/insurance industry (5 percent) and in the hospitality industry (4.84 percent), among others.