Staffordshire County Council sickies cost £14m in one year

A crackdown on staff sick days has been launched by Staffordshire County Council bosses as it was revealed workers clocked up more than 100,000 days on sick leave in the past year.

Workers with poor records are now being hauled before managers after it emerged injuries and illness cost £14million in a year.

Almost 50,000 working days were lost to stress-related absences in 2010/11 while staff missing with muscular and joint complaints clocked up 66,000 days on sick leave. The council paid a heavy price for the lost days, estimated at £6.5m.

Rising numbers of accidents and violent attacks on workers cost the authority, which employs 28,000 people including in schools, £7.3million this year. In 2009/10 the figure was £7m.

As of the end of March, the average employee's sickness absence rate stood at 8.2 days per person.

Bosses want to bring absence rates in line with the public sector where the average is around seven.

Deputy leader and finance chief, Councillor Ian Parry, said several measures had been introduced.

"We monitor people's sickness records and there are triggers – where there is a pattern of absenteeism there will be intervention and meetings will be held."

"In terms of accidents we are providing training and advice.

"With work-related ill-health we have an effective occupational health team who run confidential counselling and advice sessions."

He added: "There will always be absenteeism in the workplace – you can't avoid it. There are some people who have long-term conditions and we have to be mindful of their needs.

But we also have to be mindful we are public servants who are there to do a job."