'Sick' Council Staff Slammed

Council staff calling in a 'sickie' is costing taxpayers millions across NI.

The Audit Office has disclosed that sickness levels across local councils cost the taxpayer over £16 million last year.

The average council worker in the province takes 14 days off sick each year - equivalent to just under three working weeks - today's report reveals.

Newry and Mourne was the most improved of the 26 councils, 19 of which showed an improvement in absenteeism rates.

Despite such progress, more days were taken off sick - for reasons such as tiredness - than by civil servants and health workers or by council counterparts in England and Wales.

Absenteeism in 2007-08 cost councils £16.4 million in lost productivity.

However, there's some good news as - for example - Newry and Mourne's reduction from 21.43 days to 14.96 saved ratepayers £300,000,

Overall though, the report by Chief Local Government Auditor John Buchanan revealed that absenteeism varied widely from almost 20 days at the worst performing council, Larne, to a 'mere' eight days at Magherafelt.

One in four days' absences were blamed on stress, depression, mental health or fatigue.

During 2007-08 there were more than 9,500 staff in the 26 district councils - employed at a cost of £267 million and accounting for more than 40% of councils' expenditure.

The 131,000 days taken off amounted to 13.70 days for each full-time employee, down slightly from the 13.82 days of 2006-07.

However, and gain on the plus side, the report revealed that 37% of all staff - over 3,500 - didn't take a single sick day during the entire year.

Mr Buchanan's report expressed concern that some of the councils with the highest absenteeism rates – such as Derry, Craigavon, Ballymoney and Carrickfergus – should "review their own management practices and benchmark these against those councils with low and falling absenteeism rates".

The report recommended that all councils set long-term targets to reduce absenteeism. So far 20 have and less than half indicated to the auditor that they notified staff of the target – the report said they should.

(BMcC/JM)