£9m a year lost on council's sick days

Sick days among its 30,000-strong workforce are costing Staffordshire County Council a total of £9 million a year. The average number of sickness days taken per employee per year have risen to 10.06.

After a new managing attendance at work policy was introduced by the authority in April 2006 the average number of absences through sickness was cut from 9.8 days to 9.2 by March 2007. But since then absence levels from 2007-2008 have increased say a council committee.

Deputy director of people, policy and performance Helen Riley said the policy had been updated and managers had been given extra support.

As a result by September the sickness absence rate had reduced to 9.44 – lower than the same period last year.

"Whilst the recent progress in performance is pleasing, the county council is determined to drive down the levels of sickness absence.

"Managers will be provided with help and guidance, but they will also be held accountable for the performance of their teams and expected to demonstrate a command of any issues concerning absence management," said Mrs Riley.

She said the £9 million annual costs of sickness absence did not include county schools.

Monthly updates on the sickness position are now to be presented to the cabinet and each directorate management team so that areas of concern can be addressed.

One of the issues to be tackled is that there has been a clear increase in single day absences on a Monday and Friday.

The council issued 220 formal sickness warnings in the 12 months to the end of September – more than half in the social care and health directorate where the average number of days lost to sickness topped 16.

Council leader Councillor John Taylor said the county council was fully committed to reducing sickness absence.

He said the new Managing Absence at Work policy, introduced in 2006, had initially shown promising results.