Agenda item

Surjit Nagra, HR and OD Business Partner, provided an update on staff wellbeing, the key points of which were:

Policy Compliance

Policy compliance equated to 50% weighting of the overall management score. Figures for Q3 2015 (July-September) vs. Q2 showed no significant change.

Training Attendance

This equated to 25% of the overall score, and showed stable figures across the Q3 period. At the previous meeting, members had suggested that the 25% weighting be lowered. Although the weighting had not been amended, the future introduction of e-learning packages would mean that Managers could self-train rather than waiting for a scheduled training course. 

Occupational Health Referrals and Attendance

OH Referrals and Attendance equated to 25% of the overall scorecard. The data was stable and high, showing that the majority of Managers were referring staff to OH upon hitting a trigger (number of days absent).

Overall Management Score

Considering the above criteria, the overall score was seen to have decreased slightly during Q3. Work was being undertaken to improve performance.

Staff Absences

Since the last report to the Committee, data for sickness days lost across the Authority in Q3 had fluctuated between 0.7 and 0.6, a decrease in comparison to the same period in 2014.

Days lost per FTE were broken down by Directorate. Reasons for absence remained similar to previous reports, with the top 3 being ‘Not Stated’, Skeletal breaks/sprains’ and ‘Stress’.

Stress was being addressed via increased working with the Community Mental Health Team, to promote external, confidential sessions as support to employees. In addition, a counselling service was available 24/7. Additional work was being carried out to identify reasons for stress, particularly within the RGR directorate. It was recognised that staff morale could be contributing to sickness absence.

The ‘Not Stated’ absence category remained a concern to Members. Members were informed that previous guidance had stated that the ‘Not Stated’ category was a required field, and an employee could not be forced to cite a reason for absence. However, persistence absence would result in an employee being referred to OH who would then make recommendations to Managers on how to manage the employee’s condition (whatever that may be). In addition, the Return to Work interviews and launch of the new Agresso system (which contained a high number of specific absence fields) should see a decline in the number of absences logged under this field. It was agreed that further investigation into the potential removal of this field be undertaken by HR.

Resolved -   That the report be noted.