Eulen: 11% absenteeism, 5,000 workers off the job every day

Eulen's absenteeism soars to 11%: 5,000 employees not at work every day

The services group Eulen, one of Spain's largest private employers, has reached an absenteeism rate of 11%, which translates into some 5,000 workers missing from their posts every day. The figure, double the national average for the services sector, has peine the debate about the deeper causes of a phenomenon that employers' associations have been flagging for years as their biggest headache.

The broken social contract: low wages, high absenteeism

Behind the alarming figure lies a reality few want to see: a labour model based on low value-added services, temporary contracts and tight wages generates structural demotivation. "Work has been humanity's nightmare since the Industrial Revolution," sums up a school of thought that places the lack of incentives at the heart of the problem. With an average wage that barely covers basic needs, the equation is simple: if there is no tangible reward, workers seek compensation through other channels, including medically justified sick leave and planned absenteeism.

The figure becomes even more striking when compared with the public sector, where absences are estimated to soar to three times this rate, according to industry estimates. But what worries employers is not just the scale, but the upward trend: sick leave has hit historic records, even above pandemic levels.

TRAGSA as a lifeline: when the private company cannot cover its contracts

One of the most striking episodes surrounding Eulen is the need to turn to TRAGSA, the state-owned agricultural services company, to cover public tenders left unfilled because of absenteeism. The paradox is twofold: on the one hand, a private company that boasts of being a 'top ten' contractor cannot keep its workforce active; on the other, the state ends up plugging the gaps of a model it itself subsidises through contracts and grants. As one analysis puts it, "Eulen is more public than many ministries" in terms of its dependence on the BOE (Spain's official state gazette).

Absenteeism not only drives up the cost of services, it also opens the door to contractual breaches. If 100% of a service's staff are absent, the company faces penalties and possible contract termination. The solution involves creative measures, from hiring workers in their countries of origin to attendance bonuses, but none has managed to tackle the problem at its root.

Age as an aggravating factor

Another often overlooked element is the ageing of workforces in sectors such as cleaning and support services. With an average age close to 48, physical ailments and the after-effects of illnesses such as ELbichito-19 naturally push up sick leave. On top of this, there is a generation of workers over 55 waiting for retirement or a compensated dismissal, while younger people simply choose not to enter a labour market they see as having no future.

Perverse incentives or workplace skiving?

The debate pits two narratives against each other. On one side, the business view, which denounces "malingering" as a form of corruption comparable to that of convicted politicians. On the other, the view that absenteeism is a rational response to a system that demands commitment without offering decent conditions. Reality, as almost always, has nuances: there is fraudulent sick leave, but also real conditions not covered by the public health system and a social fatigue that manifests itself as disengagement.

The debate over absenteeism at Eulen is not an isolated case. It is the symptom of an economic model that has reached a dead end, where the 'social contract' has been broken and nobody knows how to repair it. The figures do not lie: 5,000 people a day do not go to work. The question is whether the system can afford it and, above all, whether it wants to do anything to change it.