Staff Sickness Levels in Havering Are ‘Unsustainable.’

Local democracy reporter Sebastian Mann writes:

Staff sickness levels in Havering are “unsustainable,” opposition councillors say, after it was revealed to cost the cash-strapped council £5million a year.

More than half of the employees at Havering Council called in sick last year, with 27% citing mental health problems such as stress or anxiety.

A council report shows it cost Havering £5m, up from £2.9m in 2022/23, at a time when the town hall is struggling to plug a £32.5m deficit.

Jason Frost, a Conservative councillor and the opposition’s health spokesperson, said: “Levels of sickness among council staff are high, as are those reporting stress, anxiety, and mental health as the primary cause of their absence.

“This is just not sustainable. Neither from a service delivery perspective, nor from a financial one.

“Council staff are the lifeblood of the organisation. Without them, the many vital services that residents rely on simply will not function.”

Growing numbers of workers are ill for more than 20 working days a year, . That marked a 20% increase on 2022/23.

The council ‘loses’ around ten days on average per employee, which is the seventh highest rate in London. The top rate is an average of eleven days off in Hackney, while Bexley sees the lowest of six.

Havering has used the borough councils in neighbouring Newham and Barking and Dagenham as comparison points, but Conservative leader Keith Prince said Bexley would be a better reference based on its size and scale.

The south-east borough loses around £1m a year in sickness rates, while just 40% call in sick.

The take-up rates are currently the lowest in London, with just 83 referrals. In Barking and Dagenham, there were 495.

Another concern for councillors was that low levels of unwell employees are being referred to external healthcare providers.

Cllr Frost added: “If we want our borough to function well, all of us in the local government family have a duty to ensure that staff feel supported and appreciated.

“Whether that is through responsive management or ensuring that those that are struggling take up the occupational health benefits that are on offer to staff.

A spokesperson for Havering Council said: “The wellbeing of our staff is paramount and we are doing all we can to ensure that they are well looked after and feel supported, in order to reduce staff sickness.

“However, due to increased pressures on our services and reduced funding, this can lead to staff suffering the effects of juggling their demanding workloads, resulting in sickness.

“We have programmes in place, such as wellbeing initiatives, staff networks and occupational health and employee assistance programmes, which we actively encourage staff to take advantage of.”

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