West Dunbartonshire Council is seeing consistent improvements in staff attendance with the latest results showing a further reduction in the number of days lost to absence.
Between April and June absences fell by 1,799 days compared to the same period in 2015 – a reduction of 21.3%.
Across the Council, staff had 6253 fewer days absence in 2015/16 compared to the previous year.
The continuous positive results are due to a combined effort of supporting staff by introducing a range of initiatives to help avoid absence. Measures include alternative duties, working from home, shift swaps, and flexible working.
Minor illness continues to be the most common reason for staff absence with 1,571 days lost, 33% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Employees have access to a range of additional support measures including counselling service, physiotherapy and professional Occupational Health Advisers.
The Council has an ambitious target of reducing the number of days lost to seven days per full-time equivalent per employee by 2017.
The Council’s dedicated Attendance Working Group is continually reviewing methods to assist staff and reduce sickness. Actions currently being progressed include encouraging staff to disclose their disability to allow tailored supports to be put in place; identifying key themes including Mental Health Awareness; introducing Bereavement Leave; increasing manager awareness of the support available and working with MacMillan Cancer Support to help staff.
Councillor Kath Ryall, Convener of Corporate Services, said: “It is great to see how our staff have fully embraced the methods we have implemented and we are now seeing the benefits in a steady reduction in our absence figures. We have many support measures in place and staff are taking advantage of the support to avoid or reduce absence from work. However, we cannot be complacent and we will continue to work with our staff to identify methods of support to further reduce our absence numbers.”
Deputy Convener for Corporate Services, Councillor Thomas Rainey, said: “We have come a long way as an organisation to reduce staff sickness and ensure we provide as much help and support as possible to staff. I’m am delighted our hard work and commitment, along with dedicated support are helping our staff achieve these encouraging figures.”
West Dunbartonshire Councillor Martin Rooney 