Powys council fails on sickness targets
Monday 21st February 2011, 11:29AM GMT.
Sickness absence targets at Powys County Council have not been reached after staff had to deal with extremely cold weather conditions, it has been revealed.
The council said it had failed to reach its target for absences over the last year but it was because a significant number of its staff worked outside.
The authority’s target for sickness absence is eight days per employee per year. But last year, this target was missed, with actual performance at 8.89 days per employee per year.
Council bosses now plan to crackdown on the number of staff taking sickness absences.
Figures reveal that while most services perform well, there are high levels of sickness absence in social care and local and environmental services.
Steve Holdaway, head of the council’s local and environmental services, said the high level of sickness reflected the demands on the service and 45 per cent of absence had been stress related.
He said: “A significant proportion of staff work outside. For example highways and refuse workers, who have had to cope with extremely cold conditions at the end of November and during December.
“Nonetheless the service is addressing sickness and trying to reduce levels down towards the corporate target.”
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With all due respect, what a load of absolute cobblers.
There are plenty of people in the private sector who faced the exactly the same conditions (and while very cold, it wasn’t exactly Siberia…) and who almost certainly turned in to work. Probably because a lot of them had their pay docked otherwise. Are they suggesting workers for Powys just booked sick instead?
Boy, is that cold snap getting the blame for all kinds of ridiculous things….!
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