A recent rise in the number of sick days taken by staff at a north Wales local authority has been attributed by bosses to increasing workplace stress and mental health problems.
According to BBC News, a new report revealed absences cost Conwy council around £1 million last year, with a total of 12,103 sick days taken throughout 2009 – an average of 11.09 days for each of the organisation's employees.
The researchers blamed the recent recession for the sudden increase in the number of people complaining of illnesses, with councils in Denbighshire and Flintshire also reporting thousands of workers phoning in sick.
"An economic downturn can have a double-edged impact on sickness levels," the document stated. "There could be an increase in sickness absence levels if employees suffer from stress and anxiety."
Last month, the Department for Work and Pensions claimed it was turning away three out of four sickness benefit claimants for being fit to work
Posted by Cameron Thomson
Absence is often so high because it is not managed effectively. To reduce absence, public sector organisations need to change the way in which they approach it – making sure HR professionals and managers have the tools, time and skills to manage it effectively.
We work with over 30 public sector organisations are successfully reducing sickness absence rates by improving the reporting of absence, supporting line managers to help improve attendance and providing staff with 24/7 access to medical advice. They have already reduced absence levels by an average of 22% in the first 12 months of operation.
Good management information is essential in understanding how and where absence affects organisations. Only when line managers and HR work together to ensure this reporting is accurate and help employees to access the right support will they be successful in reducing sickness absence rates.
FirstCare