Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive.

The Committee received a report of the Assistant Chief Executive which presented the Attendance Management Working Group review report and recommendations (for copy see file of minutes).

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer advised that the review group was set up following consideration of a performance management report where reference had been made to performance in respect of sickness absence targets not being met within Durham County Council.

The review group over the course of 5 meetings considered attendance management issues including sickness absence and it was agreed to:-

·                     Receive an overview of current policies and procedures including the role of Occupational Health;

·                     Examine statistics relating to attendance management across the council including profiling;

·                     Consider research and examples of best practice re attendance management;

·                     Receive information from staff, trade unions and managers on sickness policy and management.

It was reported that the review group had produced 9 recommendations as detailed on pages 162-163 of the report and in addition Key Findings and conclusions were detailed on pages 160 – 162 of the report and included a summary of those issues identified.

A summary of the recommendations were as follows:-

·                     The Council to target long term sickness absence;

·                     Compulsory training to all managers on the new Attendance Management Policy, including the identification of links with other associated policies and procedures including stress awareness, workstation assessment and appraisals;

·                     Proposed amendments to Sickness absence trigger alerts to managers and the establishment of a corporate target for referral into OH;

·                     A more comprehensive Council wide staff survey to be undertaken;

·                     The review of the Council’s approach to Better health at work, and

·                     The engagement of Trade Unions, staff and managers in the proposals recommended by this review.

The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer advised that the review report concluded by recommending that following implementation of the Attendance Management policy and in the event that it does not deliver improved attendance performance, a review of all trigger points within the policy be undertaken. This had been raised with Management and a commitment had been made by the service to monitor the impact of recommendations once implemented and report via scrutiny quarterly performance. The review report was to be submitted for consideration by Cabinet at its meeting on 16 December 2015.

Councillor Wilson commented whether there were any details as to the types of illness by service area. The Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer referred to paragraph 56 of the report which provided a breakdown by directorate.

Councillor Martin commented that he had noted that stress and mental health were main contributors to long term illness in CAS, however he added that long term absence may not always be attributed to work-related stress/illness and in these cases there was little that the authority could do to prevent this.

Councillor Shield complimented the Principal Overview and Scrutiny Officer on the report, however added that the fact could not be ignored that sickness absence had increased over the last 5 months. He therefore asked whether it was known what the cost of this absence was to the organisation and its viability, as he felt that the authority was obliged to address any misuse and abuse of the policy.

The Head of Planning and Performance advised that as staff within the service often covered duties of those on sick leave it was extremely difficult for HR to quantify the cost to the authority. She further commented it was important that the well-being of any staff picking up additional duties was monitored to ensure that any early indicators of stress were identified.

Councillor Hillary commented that regardless of whether staff were picking up additional duties to cover sick leave, the council were still issuing sick pay and this should be easily identifiable via the payroll system.

Further discussion took place regarding long term absences and the undue pressure that some employees may face about returning to work early if faced with information about how much their absence was costing the authority. Councillor Shield commented that it was not his intention upon suggesting this course of action to target those individuals with genuine reasons as to why they were unfit for work.

Councillor Stradling then asked whether each of the recommendations could be taken in turn and commented upon where appropriate. Councillor Wilkes submitted detail of amendments in respect of recommendations 3, 5 & 7 and were considered and discussed accordingly. Recommendations were agreed as follows:-

1          Agreed

2          Agreed

3          To add a final sentence, to read “That the percentage of managers trained be reported to Scrutiny at appropriate intervals”.

4          Agreed

5          To read “The Working Group recommends that a review of the current OHS referral process be undertaken to include establishing a target for referral into the OHS service of 30 calendar days; an analysis of the impact upon OHS of implementing this target and an immediate referral into OHS for those employees whose absence has been due to mental wellbeing”.

6          Agreed

7          To add a final sentence to read “With councillors having direct input into the content of the questions via Scrutiny”.

8          Agreed

9          Agreed

Resolved

That the content of the review report be agreed with the above amendments to recommendations 3, 5 and 7 and that the report be forward to Cabinet for consideration at its meeting schedule to be held on 16 December 2015.