VDAB struggles with high sick leave rates in employees
Employees at the Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service (VDAB) are absent due to illness at a much higher rate than other Flemish government agencies. Most of these absences, which average one in every eight working days, are among consultants, the frontline staff responsible for helping jobseekers, reported The Niewsblad on Saturday.
In 2024, VDAB recorded over 117,000 sick days among its 4,700 employees. That translates to an absenteeism rate of 10.35 per cent, about a third higher than the average for other government departments.
Flemish MP Robrecht Bothuyne (CD&V), who requested the figures, warns this is a serious concern. "We can’t afford a VDAB operating at half strength," he says. “This service is key in guiding long-term sick people, welfare recipients, and soon also the long-term unemployed affected by the Arizona reform.”
Mounting issues with unemployment
Consultants who directly support unemployed people make up the largest share of absentees. Many are long-term sick, making the staffing shortfall even more challenging to address.
Meanwhile, VDAB is also under pressure to cut 20 million EUR annually through 2029. Additionally, it must reach out to 25,000–30,000 Flemish unemployed people by this summer who risk losing federal benefits. “That’s a gigantic task,” Bothuyne says. “But the capacity simply isn’t there.”
Employment minister Zuhal Demir says she is already taking action to improve staff conditions. She has introduced safety measures and training to reduce aggression toward staff, which remains one of the main reasons consultants have reported burnout. Demir also points to ongoing reforms, like streamlining management and clarifying staff roles.
Still, VDAB itself argues the figures may look worse than they are. According to HR director Mieke Desanghere, the sharpest rise is in part-time sick leave, which is often due to the reintegration of long-term sick employees gradually returning to work. “That’s actually a sign of progress,” she says.
She also notes that, when adjusted for part-time sick leave, VDAB’s absenteeism is comparable to that of the private sector.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO SISKA GREMMELPREZ
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