The sickness rate remains high in the mechanical and plant engineering sector. The event highlighted current developments and discussed options for action.
The sickness rate in Germany reached a new high last year – and the situation continues to worsen in some sectors. The mechanical and plant engineering sector is also affected: Many companies are reporting persistently high sickness-related absences. The causes are manifold. In addition to an increasing number of older employees (who are sick less often on average but may be sick for longer), the shortage of skilled workers and the seamless recording of sick leave through electronic certificates of incapacity to work also play a role.
To counteract this trend of increasing sick leave, health management is coming to the fore with measures such as well-managed return-to-work interviews, root cause analysis and transparency within the company. However, a supportive management and team culture can also help to prevent and reduce sick leave.
On 26 September 2025, ProduktionNRW organized a virtual exchange of experiences on this current topic. The results of a recent flash survey on sick leave in mechanical and plant engineering were presented and discussed with companies from North Rhine-Westphalia.
Mood survey: presentation of the survey results
Andrea Veerkamp-Walz, a consultant at VDMA Business Advisory, presented the key findings of the survey. According to the survey, the sickness rate in the mechanical and plant engineering sector remains at a high level of six percent. 54 percent of those surveyed stated that the sickness rate has continued to rise over the past two years.
The effects on productivity are assessed differently: While 55 percent of companies have noticed a noticeable deterioration, 30 percent see no significant changes. The reasons cited by those surveyed for the increase include general conditions in the healthcare system – such as easier sick notes by telephone or generous certification by doctors – as well as a decline in morale and social change, which is reflected in more frequent sick notes.
Companies are already using a variety of approaches to reduce the sickness rate. The focus is on improving working conditions (such as ergonomics, flexible working time models, working from home, structures in occupational health management) as well as control measures such as return-to-work interviews or root cause analyses.
For the future, companies would particularly like to see offers to strengthen mental health, for example through employee assistance programs, coaching or mental stability programs. In addition, the focus is on behavioral prevention measures, including sports activities, exercise breaks, health days, further training and nutritional information.
Discussion and exchange of experiences
In the concluding discussion, the participants took an in-depth look at the causes and measures surrounding the high sickness rate. Many of the reasons mentioned met with approval. At the same time, it was emphasized that companies only have limited insight into the actual background of sickness reports due to medical confidentiality.
It became particularly clear in the area of measures that their success depends heavily on implementation. It is therefore crucial that managers actively support and exemplify the initiatives in order to promote acceptance among the workforce. The influence of corporate culture was also discussed. Several participants reported that absenteeism can vary noticeably – depending on the presence of individual managers, for example. An increased need for further and advanced training in the area of leadership culture and employee management was seen here.
Organizer
The event is offered by ProduktionNRW. ProduktionNRW is the cluster for mechanical engineering and production technology in North Rhine-Westphalia and is organized by VDMA NRW. ProduktionNRW sees itself as a platform for networking, informing and marketing companies, institutions and networks with each other and along the value chain. Significant parts of the services provided by ProduktionNRW are funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.