{
  "id": 12834355,
  "title": "Mittelstand: Mitarbeitergesundheit: Was Unternehmen gegen steigende Fehlzeiten tun können",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/mittelstand-mitarbeitergesundheit-was-unternehmen-gegen-steigende",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-08T09:03:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/mittelstand/mittelstand-was-unternehmen-gegen-steigende-fehlzeiten-tun-koennen/100258978.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "In Hamburg, i3 Membrane discovered during a 2020 workshop that their employees sought a stronger emphasis on work-life balance for the future. Kathrin Hahn, the Chief Marketing Officer at this Hamburg-based medical device manufacturer, observed a common desire among German Mittelstand firms for improved health and vitality amid increasing workloads, digitalization, and health consciousness.\n\nRecent statistics reveal a concerning trend: German employees took an average of 14.6 sick days in 2025, a 4.6-day increase from a decade earlier. These lost workdays equate to over five percent of productive time wasted across the economy. Small and medium-sized enterprises, where tasks are often handled by a single individual, are particularly vulnerable to these productivity losses.\n\nAccording to a Barmer insurance survey of 550 Mittelstand decision-makers, 94 percent believe employee health is crucial for business success—prioritizing health ahead of corporate culture, innovation, and digital transformation.",
  "summary": "Fehlzeiten und krankheitsbedingte Ausfälle werden für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen zum wirtschaftlichen Risiko. Mit betrieblichen Gesundheitsprogrammen lässt sich gegensteuern.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Handelsblatt",
        "title": "Mittelstand: Risikomanagement: Wie Unternehmen kritische Abhängigkeiten vermeiden",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/mittelstand-risikomanagement-wie-unternehmen-kritische-abhangigkeiten",
        "published": "2026-10-08T08:59:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}