Agenda item

Regeneration Workforce Sickness Absence Performance

To consider the report of the Corporate Director Regeneration and Community Services and the Head of Organisational Development.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the joint report of the Corporate Director of Regeneration & Community Services and the Head of Organisational Development.

 

The Corporate Director of Regeneration & Community Services presented the report which provided Members with the opportunity to scrutinise and challenge the sickness absence performance and the proposed actions for improvement for the directorate.

 

The Corporate Director advised that this was the first report of this nature that had been presented to Committee (each department would be producing a similar report to be presented to their respective Committees) and it was acknowledged that the report was ‘work in progress’ as further work needed to be undertaken with colleagues in Organisational Development to shape and focus the report to ensure that the statistics and information contained therein related to the Regeneration Service only.  It was noted that currently information relating to the Community Services Service had also been included within the report.

 

The Corporate Director spoke in detail to the report and highlighted points contained therein.  He emphasised that the vast majority of Council employees had excellent attendance levels as data indicated that 2463 employees had attended work every day during the period from April to March 2019 with the Council having an attendance level of 94.3%.  It was the front line service areas that experienced higher levels of absence.

 

As a Directorate, sickness absenteeism was discussed at every monthly management meeting. An independent review of the top ten absences had been undertaken which had confirmed that managers were adhering to and applying the Attendance Management Policy.

 

The Corporate Director continued by stating that whilst there was evidence of managerial action in managing sickness the Regeneration Service acknowledged that better use of the iTrent system was required as at present only 16.48% of return to work meetings were recorded on the iTrent system.  It was noted that not every department had access to this system, particularly front line managers and whilst return to work meetings were being held, they could not always necessarily be recorded.  Therefore, work was required to improve this position.

 

Members were then given the opportunity to raise comments/questions in respect of the report.

 

Attendance Levels - a Member referred to the fact that the vast majority of Council employees had excellent attendance levels as the data indicated that 2463 employees attended work every day and said that this was to be commended.  He asked whether these members of staff were commended for their excellent attendance levels.

 

The Corporate Director acknowledged this valid point and agreed that excellent attendance levels should be celebrated and undertook to pursue this matter at both the departmental management meeting and with Corporate Leadership Team.

 

Chronic Sickness – in reply to question relating to ‘chronic sickness’, the Corporate Director confirmed that this was largely attributed to stress.  It was reported that the Council was currently rolling out mental health training for managers in order to better equip them to have appropriate discussions with individuals.  It was noted that mental health and stress was a major issue across all organisations. 

 

iTrent System – concern was expressed that not all managers had access to this system in order to record sickness information and said that this issue needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

 

Report Content – a Member commended and congratulated officers on the report and said it was beneficial that detailed costings had been supplied. 

 

However, concern was expressed that as the graphs had not been printed in colour Members were unable to decipher this information clearly.

 

Mental Health – a Member referred to the number (46) employees who had lost working days due to mental health illness and as the Council had a duty of care to employees enquired whether there was a procedure in place via occupational health to assist staff suffering with problems of stress and anxiety. 

 

The Corporate Director advised that the Council had increased its training programme in respect of mental health for its managers and this training also highlighted potential ‘triggers’ that could lead to such absences.  He pointed out that most staff who were suffering with this condition wanted to attend work and the occupational health advisors needed to be reminded of this.  The approach taken needed to be both sympathetic to the business need and the individual.

 

Musculoskeletal & Injuries and Work/Non Work Related Mental Health -  a request was made that further information be provided in future reports in relation to Musculoskeletal & Injuries and Work/Non Work Related Mental Health.

 

Attendance Management Strategies – a Member asked that further information be supplied in respect of the strategies that were being implemented in order to reduce sickness absence.

 

The Corporate Director undertook to pursue this matter.

 

Upon a vote being taken it was unanimously that,

 

The Committee AGREED to recommend, subject to the foregoing, that the report be accepted and Option 1 be endorsed, namely that the sickness absence performance information and proposed arrangements to improve attendance rates within the Regeneration and Community Services Directorate had been scrutinised and further areas for improvement in order to drive forward performance improvement had been identified.

 

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