Escrivá points to poor coordination between administrations as a cause of absenteeism

The governor of the Bank of Spain, José Luis Escrivá, attributes the sharp increase in workplace absenteeism to a poor distribution of competencies among public administrations, placing Spain among the European countries with the highest levels.

The governor of the Bank of Spain, José Luis Escrivá, has highlighted administrative organisation as one of the causes of the rise in workplace absenteeism in Spain. During his speech at the CEU-María Cristina summer course in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Escrivá pointed out that the problem partly originates from a "poor distribution of competencies" among the various public administrations.

The mismatch between Social Security and regional governments

As the former minister explained, Social Security assumes the budgetary restrictions of sick leave, but decisions regarding it depend on the health services of the regional governments. "Sometimes the connection and coordination between these two levels does not work," Escrivá warned.

This mismatch results in a lack of efficient control over sick leave, contributing to Spain recording one of the highest levels of absenteeism in the European Union. The Bank of Spain had already warned in previous reports about this trend, which it considers a burden on business competitiveness.

The role of mutuals and the political response

Escrivá argued that work accident mutuals could "clearly contribute more" to the management of sick leave processes. He also suggested that regional health services could rely more on these entities to alleviate administrative burdens and improve oversight.

The governor's statements come after the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, described absenteeism as a "cancer we cannot afford" and questioned why a worker on sick leave receives the same pay as when they are active. However, Escrivá avoided entering the debate on the amount of benefits and focused his analysis on management.

"It is a complex issue, very complex, that partly originates from a problem of poor distribution of competencies among public administrations," Escrivá stated.

A problem affecting companies and workers

For companies, absenteeism represents an increase in costs and a loss of productivity. For workers, it can generate greater control and pressure over sick leave. The Bank of Spain urges addressing coordination between administrations as the first step to tackle the problem.

Escrivá concluded that absenteeism "is a very complex issue from the perspective of how to address it, but at the same time very important." The governor's reflection opens the door to possible changes in the management of temporary disabilities, although for now there are no concrete measures on the table.