A new National Bureau of Economic Research study has found that GLP-1 weight-loss medications reduce long-term sick leave by 17 percent compared to those who do not take them.
The research, which analyzed data from Denmark, defined long-term sick leave as health-related absences lasting more than 30 days. Employers saved an average of $866 per year for each employee who reduced their work absences through GLP-1 medications—equivalent to up to 1.5 percent of an individual’s salary.
GLP-1 drugs, prescribed for obesity and diabetes, improve health outcomes by lowering the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular conditions that often lead to extended absence from work.
Jonathan Zhang, a Duke University professor and co-author of the study, explained: “Imagine you take two days off, your employer would still pay your salary… Now they still pay your salary, but you don’t take the time off.” He added, “There are fiscal benefits, but that doesn’t look like savings for the patient or the individual, because sick leave benefits are so generous.”
In nations with generous sick leave systems, GLP-1 drugs could help employers and governments save money. In countries with less generous policies, the medications might reduce “presenteeism”—when employees cannot work at full capacity due to health issues—and prevent the spread of illness among colleagues.
