Ifop partnered with Malakoff Humanis to conduct the 10th edition of its annual survey on absenteeism, drawing on a representative sample of 3,000 employees, 400 business executives, and 200 general practitioners.
This 2026 edition also draws on an analysis of real, anonymized Malakoff Humanis data from 3.8 million private-sector employees, as well as medical follow-up data on more than 300,000 cases of long-term sick leave.
The results highlight persistently high levels of absenteeism: nearly one in three private-sector employees took sick leave at least once in 2025, and the absenteeism rate reached 4.3%, up 25.5% from 2019.
The focus is particularly on long-term sick leaves, which account for only 9.4% of all sick leaves but account for nearly two-thirds of the total days of absence.
The study also highlights differences based on employee profiles: those under 30 experience more frequent but shorter absences, while employees over 55 are absent less often but for longer periods.
Executives and managers also appear to be on the front lines amid changing work patterns.
Mental health is another major cause for concern: psychological disorders are now the leading cause of absences lasting more than 30 days.
While companies’ concern about absenteeism has reached an all-time high, more than half have yet to implement any specific measures.
These findings call for moving beyond mere observation to better understand, prevent, and support situations involving absenteeism, particularly long-term absences and the return to work.
