This is an initiative included in the ‘Agreement of good practices in the management of temporary incapacity’, a living working document signed by various entities in the sector last January

The Minister of Enterprise, Employment and Energy, Alejandro Sáenz de San Pedro, has closed the workshop on Good Practices in the Management of Temporary Incapacity, Employment and Energy, Alejandro Sáenz de San Pedro, has closed the conference on Good Practices in the Management of Temporary Incapacity (TI), the first initiative developed within the framework of the inter-administrative collaboration project carried out by the Balearic Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (IBASSAL), the Health Service of the Balearic Islands (IBSALUT), the Association of Mutual Insurance Companies of Accidents at Work (AMAT) and the National Institute of Social Security (INSS).

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The Government analyses the management of temporary incapacity with professionals in the sector to reduce absenteeism in the Balearic Islands

Sáenz de San Pedro praised the opportunity provided by this event ‘to share experiences and propose solutions that help to build a healthier and more efficient working environment, as well as easier management’.

The councillor highlighted the fact that doctors, trade unions, mutual insurance companies, employers, the National Institute of Social Security, the Regional Ministry of Health and IBASSAL, among other bodies, have all been brought together in the same place, as “we all have a fundamental role to play in tackling the phenomenon of absenteeism proactively, through dialogue and consensus, and thus guaranteeing quality employment. This implies: understanding the causes behind absenteeism and implementing effective policies that promote a healthier working environment”.

The head of Enterprise, Employment and Energy concluded that absenteeism is a challenge for companies and workers, and is also an indicator of the state of health of the working environment.

This conference was also attended by the Regional Minister for Health, Manuela García Romero, who congratulated the organisation of the meeting and highlighted the fact that it brought together all the agents involved in the processing of temporary incapacity for work. ‘This is the best way to analyse where the weaknesses and areas for improvement are,’ she said, adding that ‘better coordination in the management of temporary incapacity can speed up the return to work of an employee, favouring the performance of a diagnostic or therapeutic test or adapting the workplace’.

For her part, the regional secretary for Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue, Catalina Cabrer, who inaugurated the event, pointed out that this initiative is included in the ‘Agreement on good practices in the management of temporary incapacity’, a living working document signed by various entities in the sector last January.

In the words of Cabrer, ‘this joint work is a brave step taken by the Government of the Balearic Islands and responds to the need for the administrations themselves to position themselves as responsible, to achieve a series of objectives for improvements in the management of the process of processing sick leave and discharges due to temporary incapacity, always hand in hand with everyone’s fight against this type of limitation’.

The regional secretary explained that the objectives of this initiative include reducing administrative bureaucracy and the length of time it takes to manage temporary incapacity. ‘The intention is to facilitate the processes that are carried out for its processing, all this always from the commitment of the Government of Marga Prohens for administrative simplification, in addition to reducing duplication that may exist between public services, the AMAT and medical inspection’.

Cabrer stressed that the rate of absenteeism in the Balearic Islands in 2024 was 5.7%, below the national average (6.7%), although there was an upward trend compared to the previous year. ‘Agreements like this serve to try to consolidate our position and even improve the data,’ he added, while recalling that the safety and health of workers comes first.

This event was moderated by the director of the radio programme PRLonAir, on Onda Aragonesa, Ana Serrano. The inaugural conference was given by Professor Emeritus of the University of Valencia (IDOCAL Research Institute), José María Peiró, who gave an ‘Analysis of Temporary Incapacity (TI) processes in Spain (2018-2023)’.

This was followed by the presentations ‘The management of TI in family doctor’s surgeries’, by Mar Torrens Darder, a specialist in Family and Community Medicine and deputy director of the Llevant Sector of IBSALUT, as well as ‘Mutuals collaborating with the Social Security’, given by the managing director of AMAT, Pedro Pablo Sanz.

Those attending were able to participate in the round table entitled ‘Temporary incapacity is part of your recovery’, with representatives from AMAT, IBSALUT and IBASSAL.