Civil Service sickness costs £25m

[Square Ball]

Sickness absence in the Northern Ireland Civil Service cost £25.6m during the last financial year.
Workers in the Department for Social Development took nearly four working weeks off sick, whilst those in Regional Development were off 9.2 days.

Civil servants took an average of 13.7 annual sick days, a slight rise on the previous year's figure.

Declan O'Loan, SDLP, said the cost was "unacceptable". The NIO said a plan to tackle sickness had been drawn up.

The figures on sickness for 2006/7 were contained in a report given to a Department of Finance and Personnel committee on Thursday.

AT A GLANCE
12.3% off for more than 20 working days
32.7% sick for one day
Highest absence - 18.9 days - among adminstrative officers
Workers take 18.7 sick days in Department for Social Development 

It heard that just over 40% of staff had no recorded absences, with a further 32.7% having just one sick day.


The high level of absence was mainly due to 12.3% of staff off on long-term sickness - more than 20 consecutive working days.

The sickness rate was highest among staff at administrative officer level - 18.9 days - with female officers at this grade accruing 22 sick days.

Mr O'Loan said he understood that there were many "harrowing and difficult" personal situations behind the figures.

"But we can't ignore the reality that far too many days are lost to sickness in the Civil Service," he said.


Margaret Ritchie's department has the worst sickness record

"It is far in excess of the private sector. The cost to the taxpayer is not acceptable."

Mr O'Loan said that the main reason for long-term absence was psychiatric or psychological illnesses.

The Department of Finance and Personnel said the main problem was the frequency and duration of long-term absence and it was tackling this.

It said the variation in figures between departments was down to differences in terms of grade, gender and age.

A spokesman added: "Ministers have now agreed a number of actions to be considered by officials, including accrued entitlement to occupational sick pay for new entrants, a focus on rehabilitation and more effective management of those on long-term absence."

He added that there was a "robust policy on inefficiency which can lead to sanctions, including dismissal".

Not one day off sick in 5 years, so dont blame me

[screenexile]

They're all at it... even the boul ziggy!

http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=4916.0

[SouthArmaghBandit]

A 1% reduction would sort out the Class Room assistants dispute.