In Norway, women's sick leave is almost twice as high as men's - in all industries. Stress and worry could be one factor, experts believe.
- Even when you subtract maternity leave and working dual jobs, there is still quite a significant portion of sick days left for women that we simply can't explain, says Ingvar Åsholt, knowledge director at the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Service (NAV).
According to NAV's statistics, female politicians' sick leave is 110 % higher than that of their male colleagues. For female journalists the rate is 80 percent higher, and female CEOs have a sick leave equal to 125 percent that of men's.
Only one fourth of women's absence is accounted for by absence associated with pregnancy.
One theory, explains Åsholt, could be that women "worry themselves sick" for their family, and therefore carry a heavier emotional burden than many men.
"We think this is related to so-called dual work load, and that women get tired from the total work load in a day, which can easier give a diagnosis related to psychological issues," Åsholt tells NRK.
Professor Ulla-Britt Lilleaas at the University in Agder, agrees that women still often carry the heaviest "emotional" load in the family. Women are often the ones to worry about their child being teased at school, or when they are home sick. These worries manifest themselves through physical pain and stress in the body, Lilleaas explains.
However, Lilleaas also agrees with NAV that more research is needed on the subject before any conclusions can be drawn.
(NRK)
Julie Ryland - Photo illustration
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