The increase in employee absenteeism and its impact on company business were the core topics for a round table discussion as part of Retail Street Talent 2026, the initiative promoted by Women in Retail that took place for the fourth time this year at Plaza del Callao in Madrid.

Held on 19 May, the event gathered companies, professionals and experts from the retail sector for a day focused on talent, employment and the main people management challenges being faced by the industry. With that in mind, this discussion took place as part of the Retail Section in the auditorium of Fnac Callao, at which various issues tied to leadership, organisational transformation, artificial intelligence, engagement, the development of management models and absenteeism were discussed.

The session focused on the main conclusions reached by the XIV Adecco Report on Healthy Companies and Absenteeism Management, a study that analyses the development of employee absenteeism in Spain, its main causes and its consequences for organisations.

The meeting was moderated by Josefa Solanilla, Head of Human Resources at Moventia, and was also attended by Carlos Arcas, Director of Adecco Group Institute, and Rosa Torres, CEO of Gato Preto. During the course of the conversation, the speakers discussed the most important data from the report as well as the factors that explain the growth in absenteeism over recent years.

The issues that were raised included the burden of temporary incapacity due to common illness, the increase in sick leave for mental health and emotional wellbeing reasons, the ageing working population, and changes in the relationship between people and work.

The discussion also enabled a more in-depth look at the impact of absenteeism on people-intensive sectors, such as retail, logistics, transport and customer service, where team organisation, shift planning and service continuity are particularly relevant issues.

As moderator, Josefa Solanilla offered the Moventia perspective on people management and helped to structure a debate focused on the challenges posed by employee absenteeism for companies.