The most important insights
- 43% of workers have ever dropped out due to mental health problems
- Signaling often stays out for months — only 11% of managers recognize signals on time
- Average downtime is between 195 and 318 days
- Time registration makes workload and different patterns more visible
- Smart use of time registration prevents a sense of control and promotes well-being
What is mental absenteeism?
Psychological absenteeism is failure due to mental overload, such as stress, overstrain or burnout. It sneaks in: your employee still looks fine, but is slowly running out. Concentration problems, irritability or tiredness are the first signs — but they are rarely recognized.
According to the study by Acture and Highberg, dropouts due to psychological complaints take an average of between 195 and 318 days. And yet, only 11% of executives say they recognize these signals on time.
That is not unwillingness, but a lack of sight. Especially when working in a hybrid way, work rhythm and behavior are difficult to follow. Without clear data, subtle signals remain invisible.
Time registration: aid or hindrance?
Let's be honest: time registration does not always have a good image. It sometimes evokes the image of “Big Brother” or micromanagement. Employees want to feel free in how and when they work — and that's right.
But time registration does not have to be a means of control. On the contrary: if you use it smartly and people-oriented, it becomes a valuable tool for well-being and prevention. From research by SD Worx it appears that employees do value time registration. In the Netherlands says:
- 34% that it helps with a better work-life balance
- 42% that it provides insight into productivity
- 44% that it helps to plan and organize work better
In other countries, that percentage is even higher. So important: it's not about the what, but because of how.
đź“š Read here everything about improving work-life balance with time registration.
How time registration helps with mental signaling
Psychological complaints don't develop overnight. It often starts with:
- structural overwork
- no more taking breaks
- different work rhythm
By properly recording working hours, you can recognize these types of patterns earlier — without having to continuously monitor. You can see how it works below:
1. Making patterns visible
You can see at a glance who is systematically working overtime or who never registers a break. Such abnormalities may indicate stress or excessive workload.
2. Fact-based conversation
Not by feeling, but with concrete data, you have the conversation about workload or balance. This prevents assumptions — and strengthens trust.
3. Employee as owner
By giving employees insight into their hours themselves, you stimulate awareness: am I still working in balance? Do I need to change anything?
đź“š With a mobile app for time registration employees have insight into their hours.
4. Recognize team trends
Time registration also helps to see larger patterns. Is it always the same team that works overtime? Is the pressure too high for a particular project? With smart reports and dashboards you'll discover it quickly — and you can take preventive action.
5. Transparency without control
As long as you're clear about why you're registering — namely to support, not to control — it doesn't feel like surveillance, it feels like help.
What you can do as an employer
Time registration as a wellbeing tool only works if it is properly embedded. No spreadsheets or rigid rules, but user-friendly software and clear agreements.
Here's how to make it workable:
- Make clear agreements about working hours and breaks
- Communicate openly why you're registering — and what you're doing with it
- Use the data as a signal, not a sanction
- Give employees their own insight and ownership
- Train managers in identifying and supervising
Brief summary
Psychological absenteeism is a growing risk, often because signals are not detected in time. Time registration can actually help make those signals visible early — as long as you use it with attention and trust.
- Psychological absenteeism lasts an average of 200+ days
- Signals often remain invisible for months
- Smart time registration helps you recognize work pressure earlier
- Use it as a conversation starter, not a control tool
- With TimeChimp, you get insight without interfering
👉 Do you also want more control over well-being and workload in your team? Try TimeChimp free for 14 days and learn how to record time with people in mind.
FAQs
That depends entirely on how you use it. If you use time tracking to punish or micromanage, then yes — it feels like Big Brother. But if you communicate openly why you're registering (recognizing signs of overload) and give employees insight into their data themselves, it actually becomes a tool. Research shows that 42% of Dutch employees find time registration useful for productivity insight. The key: transparency about the goal and giving employees ownership over their own data.
You pay attention to different patterns: someone who works structurally overtime, never records breaks, or suddenly works far fewer/more hours. These are often early signs of stress or overload — long before someone gets sick. With that concrete data, you can start the conversation without guessing or making assumptions. It's not about one bad week, but about structural patterns that last for months.
Use the data as a conversation starter, not proof of guilt. Start the conversation: “I see you're working a lot overtime lately — how are you actually doing?” Focus on support, not sanctions. Together, look at workload, priorities or any support. Train your supervisors to have these conversations properly. The goal is to prevent, not punish.
