The first workplace climate survey by the Ibiza and Formentera Hotel Business Federation (FEHIF) identifies a clear difference between hotel companies of different sizes. More than 83% of surveyed businesses with at least 200 employees reported an increase in absenteeism, while 85% of the smallest companies said levels had remained stable.

Absenteeism is becoming a greater organisational challenge for some of Ibiza and Formentera's largest hotel businesses, while smaller companies generally report more stable patterns of employee absence.

The findings come from the first workplace climate survey conducted by the Federation of Hotel Businesses of Ibiza and Formentera (FEHIF), which examines employment conditions during the 2026 tourist season.

The survey found that 83.33% of participating companies with 200 or more employees had experienced an increase in absenteeism compared with the previous season. Within this group, almost 17% reported that the increase had been significant.

The results contrast with those from smaller businesses, where more companies reported stable levels or a decrease in absences.

Importantly, these percentages represent the responses of surveyed businesses about changes they observed. They do not indicate the proportion of individual employees who were absent from work.

The biggest hotel companies report the greatest increase

The differences become apparent when the results are examined by company size.

Among businesses with 200 or more employees, 83.33% reported that absenteeism had increased slightly, while 16.67% said it had increased significantly. None reported a decrease or stable levels.

For companies employing between 75 and 199 people, 54.55% reported a slight increase and 9.09% a significant increase. Around 36% said absenteeism had remained stable, while none reported a reduction.

The picture was more balanced among businesses with 50 to 74 employees. More than half, 55%, reported stable levels, 33% reported a slight increase and 11.11% said absenteeism had decreased. None reported a significant increase.

Among companies with 25 to 49 employees, 30% reported a decrease in absenteeism, 50% said levels had remained unchanged and 20% reported a slight increase. None reported a significant increase.

For businesses with 10 to 24 employees, more than 70% reported stable levels, while the remaining companies recorded an increase.

The smallest companies, those with between zero and nine employees, reported the most stable picture: 85% said absenteeism had remained unchanged, while 15% reported a slight increase. None reported a decrease or a significant increase.

Common illness is the main reported reason for absence

The survey identifies common illness as the principal reason for employee absences across businesses of all sizes, with reported percentages ranging from 85% to 100%.

Other causes vary depending on the size of the company.

Non-work-related accidents feature more prominently among medium-sized and smaller businesses, while occupational accidents and professional illnesses are more prominent in companies employing between 50 and 74 people.

Paid leave accounts for 50% of the reported absenteeism in the largest companies. Other reasons include leave related to the birth or care of children and other legally recognised absences.

These categories are important when interpreting the findings: not all employee absences are unjustified or within the control of workers or employers.

What happens when employees are absent?

The wider FEHIF survey also examines the operational consequences of employee absences.

Across the participating businesses, 42% reported an increase in absences linked to documented or legally recognised reasons compared with the previous season. Half said these levels had remained stable, while 8% reported a decrease.

The survey separately examined absences without an accredited reason. In this category, 66% of businesses described the incidence as low or non-existent, while 34% considered it moderate, high or very high.

The main consequence identified was additional pressure on the remaining workforce.

A total of 72% of surveyed companies cited increased workloads for other employees, while 60% reported an increase in overtime. Other effects included the need to arrange replacements, difficulties maintaining service standards and higher labour costs.

The impact was particularly pronounced among the largest companies. Within the group employing 200 or more people, 83.33% described the incidence of absences without an accredited reason as high or very high.

A survey covering 96 tourist establishments

The first edition of the FEHIF workplace climate survey collected responses from businesses managing 96 tourist establishments and 24,266 accommodation places.

According to the federation, this represents approximately 28% of the accommodation capacity in Ibiza and Formentera within the categories analysed, and 42.69% of the places associated with FEHIF.

The survey examines several aspects of employment in the hotel sector, including recruitment difficulties, staff turnover, absenteeism, training and employee accommodation.

Its results should be understood as the experiences and assessments reported by participating businesses, rather than a direct measurement of absence rates among all hotel workers across the islands.

FEHIF intends to repeat the survey and develop its methodology to monitor changes, identify the sector's priorities and help guide proposals to public administrations and other organisations.

The findings provide an initial picture of the employment challenges facing the hotel industry in Ibiza and Formentera, with the largest businesses reporting particular pressure from staff absences and the organisational adjustments needed to maintain their services.