Stress-related absence keeps pressure on workplace high
A study by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and TNO shows that a growing share of employees report burn-out symptoms.
According to recent figures, employees are increasingly taking time off with stress-related complaints. At the same time, research shows that workload, limited autonomy and prolonged absence do not occur to the same extent everywhere.
In 2025, 21 per cent of employees reported burn-out symptoms in the National Working Conditions Survey conducted by CBS and TNO. Ten years earlier, that share was 13 per cent, according to Arboportaal. The figures concern symptoms reported by employees themselves and are not a medical diagnosis.
The proportion of employees with stressful work also remains considerable. In 2025, according to the survey, 15 per cent had a job with high demands and little freedom. In 2024, the figure was 16 per cent. Stressful work therefore does not affect a majority, but it does affect a substantial group.
Of the employees who reported sick in 2025, more than 22 per cent said that their absence was wholly or partly work-related. High workload was cited, alongside infection at work and physically demanding work, as one of the main causes.
In March, ArboNed reported that stress-related absence had increased by 43 per cent over five years. According to the same organisation, absence due to stress complaints among women in 2025 was twice as high as among men. These figures come from ArboNed’s absence records and are not directly comparable with the CBS and TNO survey.
National sickness absence remained virtually unchanged in 2025 at 4.9 per cent. That does not mean the consequences of stress remain unchanged: mental health complaints can lead to prolonged absence, further increasing pressure on colleagues and employers.
The researchers point mainly to workload, room for manoeuvre and sustainable employability. For employers, this means they should look not only at individual resilience, but also at schedules, staff shortages, the division of tasks and the opportunity to influence the work. The figures say nothing about the cause of complaints in an individual employee.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A considerable proportion of employees report burn-out symptoms or work-related absence.
- Stressful work is defined as high demands combined with little autonomy.
- Total sickness absence remained virtually stable in 2025.
Left
Arguments Employers and the government must tackle workload and staff shortages structurally; individual resilience must not become a substitute for good employment conditions.
Values Collective responsibility, secure livelihoods and healthy work.
Consequences Greater investment and more regulation could limit absence, but would increase employers’ costs in the short term.
Centre
Arguments The approach should differ by sector and organisation, giving both employees and employers room to find solutions.
Values Prevention, feasibility and tailored solutions.
Consequences Targeted measures may be more effective than uniform obligations, but require good monitoring.
Right
Arguments Employers must limit risks, but employees and managers also bear responsibility for clear agreements and timely action.
Values Individual responsibility, entrepreneurship and workability.
Consequences Greater flexibility can help, but without minimum safeguards, workload and absence could instead be shifted onto vulnerable employees.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures can be found at CBS, TNO, Arboportaal and ArboNed. The text makes clear that the sources use different definitions and measurement methods.
- confirmed In 2025, 21 per cent of employees reported burn-out symptoms. — Arboportaal reports this figure from the NEA 2025. source
- confirmed In 2025, 15 per cent of employees had stressful work. — This is stated in the report on the NEA 2025. source
- confirmed More than 22 per cent of sick employees said their absence was wholly or partly work-related. — Arboportaal gives this figure for 2025. source
- confirmed ArboNed reported a 43 per cent increase over five years. — The ArboNed page reports this development in stress-related absence. source
Editor's note
The figures come from different sources and measurement methods. Burn-out symptoms are self-reported complaints; ArboNed’s absence figures are registration data and do not constitute a medical diagnosis.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „stress burn-out”
- Trouw — „stress burn-out”
- NRC — „stress burn-out”