Taking GLP-1 weight loss drugs is helping to reduce sick leave by more than 17 percent, a new paper shows, leading to saved costs for employees and employers alike
Medications like Ozempic and Wegovy were tied to a 17.3 percent reduction in long-term sick leave over 30 days for workers in Denmark, international researchers said
That led to savings of up to 1.5 percent of an employee’s salary, or $866 on average, the analysis of Danish administrative data showed
While sick leave policy differs between Denmark and the U.S., these findings could have positive implications internationally, the authors told CBS News on Tuesday
“In the U.S., which doesn’t have the generous sick leave policy of Denmark, people get sick and they go to work. They’re less productive because they feel crappy,” Jonathan Zhang, one of the study’s co-authors and a professor at Duke University, explained
In the U.S., there are no federal legal requirements for paid sick leave for private employers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor
But there are mandatory paid sick leave laws in 18 states and the District of Columbia
Comparatively, Danish employers pay for short-term sick leave and the government pays for long-term sick leave, CBS noted
That means cost savings for long-term leave would go to the government
“There are fiscal benefits, but that doesn’t look like savings for the patient or the individual, because sick leave benefits are so generous,” Zhang said
Zhang also suggested that the drugs could be helpful to limit time when employers are working but not able to perform their best due to health issues
Companies could become more productive when workers feel better. In turn, workers could perform better and potentially earn accolades at work
It remains unclear if these impacts are already being seen at home, but past research has identified similar outcomes in Sweden and a U.K. study of patients taking the drugs for nine months found sickness days fell by nearly half
More Americans than ever are taking GLP-1s, which have been shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, developing cancer and dementia and dying prematurely
Some 15 percent of 5,065 adults surveyed said they had taken the drugs at some point and 11 percent said they were currently on a drug
That’s up from 3 percent from those who said they were taking an obesity drug in 2024
