The Governor of the Bank of Spain, José Luis Escrivá, urges greater prominence for accident mutuals to combat absenteeism, which places Spain among the European countries with the highest rates.
The Governor of the Bank of Spain, José Luis Escrivá, has highlighted the issue of absenteeism. At a summer course in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Escrivá called on Wednesday for greater involvement from accident mutuals to manage sick leave, a problem he described as "very complex" but which hampers business competitiveness.
A coordination problem between administrations
According to Escrivá, absenteeism has grown "very strongly" in recent years and places Spain "in one of the highest situations in Europe." The origin, he explained, lies in a "poor distribution of competencies" between Social Security, which bears the budgetary restrictions, and the regional health services, which decide on sick leave. "Sometimes the connection and coordination between these two levels does not work," he lamented.
The Governor believes that mutuals "could clearly contribute more" and that the regional health services "could rely more" on them. The proposal is not new, but it gains traction following statements from the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who described absenteeism as a "cancer we cannot afford" and questioned why a worker on sick leave receives the same pay as one who is active.
Minister Saiz criticises the PP
The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, also intervened in the debate. In statements made during the same forum, Saiz accused the PP of being "immersed in a race to see who is more 'ultra'" and of proposing cuts to labour rights. "Undermining the health of workers is not the solution," she stated.
Saiz's remarks come after Feijóo opened the door to reviewing temporary incapacity benefits. The PP has not yet specified its proposal, but discontent within the Government is evident. The minister reminded that Spain already has mechanisms to control fraud and that the structural problem is one of management, not rights.
What does it mean for companies and workers?
For companies, absenteeism is a headache. According to data from the Bank of Spain, current rates increase labour costs and reduce productivity. Escrivá insisted that it is "very important" to address it, although he admitted there are no simple solutions. The key, in his view, lies in better distributing competencies and giving more weight to mutuals, which already manage professional contingencies.
For workers, the debate generates uncertainty. For now, there are no legislative changes on the table, but political and economic pressure is growing. The Bank of Spain has already warned in its reports for 2025 and 2026 about this dynamic, and now the Governor reiterates it with more emphasis. What is clear is that the issue is not going to cool down.
The CEU-Maria Cristina summer course, where Escrivá and Saiz coincided, has served as a thermometer for a debate that promises to intensify. The next relevant appointment will be the Governor's appearance in Congress, scheduled for September, where he is expected to elaborate on his proposals. Until then, the message is clear: mutuals must play a more active role.
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