The telecommunications and utilities industry and the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, in particular, suffered from the highest absentee rates, recording an average of 13 sick days per year each.
Insured workers with better access to preventive care will have lower absentee rates, be more productive because they're less worried over children's health.
Some parents have been keeping their children home from school, he said, but there have not been any reports of high absentee rates of students or teachers thus far.