CHRO
“Absenteeism isn’t an isolated problem, but an organisational issue”
Absenteeism is rising and the system is under strain. In an interview with CHRO, Bas Tomassen, CEO of Colbe, explains why traditional absence management falls short and why organisations need to make the shift to work wellbeing.
In 2025, sickness absence rose to 5.4 per cent. Mental health complaints are increasing and waiting times for mental healthcare are getting longer. According to Tomassen, absenteeism isn’t an isolated problem of individual employees, but an organisational issue. “Many organisations do measure and report absenteeism, but the underlying causes often receive too little attention. Responsibility is divided between HR, management, finance, the occupational health service and other providers. This leads to a fragmented approach that isn’t effective and offers no insight into what works.”
Organisations that combine absence data, HR data and employee surveys, and talk with their employees, can spot emerging risks earlier and take targeted action. By also measuring what works, the approach keeps improving and organisations can justify their investments in employability. This makes work wellbeing a topic for the boardroom, with an important role for the CHRO.