The healthcare sector in both Norway and the United States is facing significant staffing challenges. These issues are not only driving up operational costs but also negatively impacting the quality of patient care.

High Absenteeism, Serious Consequences

In Norway, sickness absence among healthcare workers is a staggering 40% higher than in other industries. This leads to increased reliance on overtime and temporary staff, placing financial and emotional strain on both institutions and their employees.

In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 7.8 million workers were absent due to illness in January 2022, more than double the number from the year before.

Rising Costs of Temporary Staffing

Norwegian municipalities and healthcare organizations spent over 3.4 billion NOK on temporary staff in 2021, almost double the expenditure in 2012. In many cases, temporary staff can be three times more expensive than permanent employees. ​McKinsey & Company

Time-Consuming Shift Planning

Healthcare leaders are spending a significant portion of their working hours solving shift scheduling problems rather than leading their teams. According to McKinsey, up to 31% of their time is dedicated to managing staffing logistics. Shift planning has become a time thief, a stress factor, and a financial burden.

When an employee calls in sick, a frantic race begins: Who can cover? Overtime? A temporary replacement? This reactive mode not only causes frustration, it often results in poorer patient care. ​McKinsey & Company

Burnout and High Turnover Among Staff

More than 56% of healthcare workers in the U.S. report symptoms of burnout (McKinsey, 2023). The main causes? Poorly scheduled shifts, insufficient staffing, and lack of appreciation. The result is a high turnover rate and declining service quality. ​McKinsey & Company

Patients Pay the Price

When the system is strained, employees lose energy and motivation. Stress and absenteeism lead to reduced continuity in care and lower quality of service. Both job satisfaction and patient safety suffer—for those who give care, and those who need it.

How Synplan Helps

At Synplan, we believe that smarter scheduling leads to healthier systems, for both healthcare professionals and their patients.

Our AI-driven platform helps healthcare organizations optimize shift planning, reduce overtime, and minimize the need for costly temporary staff. By automating the most time-consuming parts of workforce planning, we free up leaders to do what they do best: lead.

Synplan enables:

  • Data-driven scheduling that improves staff utilization and fairness

  • Predictive absence management, reducing last-minute disruptions

  • Real-time overviews to support quick decision-making during sudden absences

  • Employee-centric planning, boosting engagement and reducing burnout

The result? Lower costs, less stress, and better care.