The use of pharmaceuticals motivated by working conditions is on the rise, affecting women in greater proportion. Unions warn of a lack of prevention in companies, especially regarding psychosocial risks, according to data collected in a study published in 2023.
“"Since the pandemic, we have seen an increase in health problems, especially mental health issues, and an abrupt rise in medicalization. Indicators show a generalized deterioration of health parallel to a gradual, but constant, intensification of work rhythms and their burdens."
This widespread discomfort is reflected in absenteeism figures. According to INE data, 190,000 Catalans miss work every week due to illness. Despite this, a Generalitat report indicates that more than half of the workers who fell ill in the last year went to work despite their indisposition.
While employer associations, such as Foment del Treball and Pimec, seek to multiply anti-absenteeism clauses, unions criticize the lack of willingness to address occupational risk prevention. The collapse of public healthcare also contributes, with the average waiting time for a primary care appointment being 10 days, according to the CIS.
“"Employers are very concerned about the issue [of absenteeism] but then they do not want to negotiate a new occupational risk prevention law. And the second problem is public health, the system is collapsed and waiting lists keep growing."
During the first nine months of 2025, the Social Security registered five million temporary incapacity reports across Spain, 26% of which were concentrated in Catalonia. Despite having more sick leaves, the average duration is shorter: 30 days in Catalonia compared to the 44-day national average.
