Do Germans really take 19.5 days of sick leave per year?
Investigating how much sick leave is taken on average around the world
How do different countries compare, in terms of the amount of time that workers take as sick leave?
Loyal listener Dave got in touch to ask us to look at a surprising statistic he saw in the news – that the average German takes 19.5 days of sick leave per year.
“This is extremely hard to believe,” he wrote.
We track down the – highly reliable – source of the claim, and look at the differences between countries when it comes to taking time of work with illness.
To guide us through it all is Lukas Lehner - assistant professor at the University of Edinburgh.
If you’ve seen a number in the news that you think we should take a look at, get in touch: moreorless@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Lizzy McNeill
Producer: Krista Beighton
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
On radio
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Broadcasts
- Sat 29 Aug 202605:50BBC World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, East Asia & South Asia
- Sun 30 Aug 202600:50BBC World Service Australasia
- Sun 30 Aug 202605:50BBC World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia & East Asia only
- Sun 30 Aug 202609:50BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa only
- Sun 30 Aug 202611:50BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
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Podcast
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More or Less
Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life.
