Health insurance: More people are reporting sick due to heat

Mainz/Wiesbaden/Saarbrücken. Sunstroke, heatstroke, or circulatory problems: The number of heat-related sick notes in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and Saarland is increasing, according to the health insurance company IKK Südwest. By mid-July, more than 500 of its insured members had already reported sick for this reason. In 2024, there were almost 400 such sick notes during the entire period.

And summer isn't over yet: "The longer and more severe the heatwaves are in the summer, the more sick notes we receive," said Jörg Loth, head of IKK Südwest. "The current figures clearly show that heat is no longer just an inconvenience—it's a real health risk."

People who work outdoors and in physically demanding jobs every day are particularly affected. The highest number of heat-related sick notes this year so far has been issued by postal and courier delivery workers, followed by construction workers and skilled trades in civil engineering, construction, and mechanical engineering. However, there has also been a noticeable increase in sick notes in educational professions.

It's high time to raise awareness among employers and employees that heat is being taken seriously, Loth said. Preventive measures are needed to protect employees – such as training on drinking habits or heat action plans in companies.

According to health insurance analysis, Saarland leads the three states in heat-related sickness absences this year. Here, insured individuals were on sick leave for an average of 3.9 days due to heat. Rhineland-Palatinate followed with 3.8 days, and Hesse averaged 3.5 days. More than two-thirds of these cases were men.

IKK Südwest has a total of around 600,000 insured people in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Saarland.

RND/dpa