The number of L4 cases is rising for a reason that is rarely discussed. ZUS reveals the scale

Employee sick leave is a daily occurrence in every company. The reasons for sick leave vary, and excessive alcohol consumption is a contributing factor in some cases. New data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) illustrates the scale of the problem in Poland. Such sick leave has serious consequences not only for the employee.

The Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) reported that in the first half of 2025, doctors issued 14.5 million certificates for a total of 148.1 million sick days. Each of these convalescences was assigned a specific code.

For example, the letter "A" indicates continued treatment, and "B" indicates pregnancy. Documents marked with code "C" are problematic.

This is how incapacity for work resulting from alcohol abuse is reported . Importantly, when such a situation occurs, the doctor is required to enter the appropriate letter on the form. According to the Social Insurance Institution, this occurred nearly 5,000 times in the first six months of 2025.

SEE: Why Some Seniors Live Over 100? A Unique Study

This represents an increase of over 12% compared to the same period last year, translating to 50,400 missed workdays. Patients aged 40-44 were most likely to stay at home, predominantly men (3,800 compared to 1,100 women).

This isn't the only data the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) has published on this topic in recent months. The report for 2024 estimated a total of nearly 100,000 days of absence due to this reason. It also indicated a 44.9% increase in certificates issued compared to the previous year. Seventy-five percent of cases involved men, and the average recovery time was nearly 10.5 days.

Pexels

Published statistics show that most L4s are issued for periods of one to five days. In the case of the document with code "C," this has practical consequences. According to the regulations, the employee does not receive remuneration or benefits for the first five days of such absence.

Moreover, the employer sees the marking on the form signed by the doctor, which in practice allows him to learn the reason for the employee's worse condition.

Alcohol-related conditions that prevent you from going to work are usually quite serious. These include:

• mental disorders
• liver cirrhosis
• ulcers
• heart failure
• weakening of the immune system, which increases susceptibility to infections

Absenteeism from work due to substance abuse is also a worrying phenomenon, especially in the context of the challenges that alcohol poses to public health.

SEE: You only have until August 25th. Otherwise, the tax office will check your account.

OECD data shows that approximately 900,000 Poles struggle with alcohol addiction, and between 2 and 2.5 million people engage in hazardous drinking. Average annual consumption in Poland is 11 liters of pure ethyl alcohol per capita. Eurostat statistics indicate that Poland ranks second in the European Union in terms of alcohol-related deaths.

Frequent drinking also has economic consequences . A report prepared for the National Center for Addiction Prevention shows that annual losses related to alcohol abuse reach PLN 93.3 billion.