Attendance Management

Environment Directorate

National Picture continued

Table 1 Average numbers of days lost due to sickness, and sickness absence rates, English & Welsh authorities, County and Unitary, 2002/03 & 2003/04 Non-manuals Manuals All employees Days lost % rate Days lost % rate Days lost % rate Lower quartile (9.1) 9.8 (4.0) 4.3 (11.2) 13.4 (4.9) 5.9 (9.3) 10.0 (4.1) 4.4 Median (11.6) 11.1 (5.1) 4.9 (13.5) 15.5 (5.9) 6.8 (11.2) 11.7 (4.9) 5.1 Upper quartile (13.2) 11.7 (5.8) 5.1 (17.1) 18.6 (7.5) 8.2 (13.0) 13.4 (5.7) 5.9 Mean (10.9) 10.9 (4.8) 4.8 (13.7) 15.5 (6.0) 7.1 (11.2) 11.6 (4.9) 5.1 Sample (21) 33 (20) 30 (83) 104

National Picture continued

Table 2 Absence rates (%) for larger authorities by type, 2002/03 & 2003/04 Counties Metro.

Authorities London

boroughs English unitaries

Welsh unitaries

Non-manual Median (3.6) 4.9 (5.6) 5.1 (N/a) 4.3 (5.2) 4.8 (4.0) 5.6 Mean (3.7) 4.7 (5.4) 5.0 (N/a) 4.4 (5.0) 5.1 (4.4) 5.3 No in sample (4) 6 (8) 8 (N/a) 11 (5) 4 (4) 4 Manual Median (3.5) 5.9 (7.4) 7.0 (N/a) 7.1 (6.4) N/a (5.6) 6.5 Mean (3.8) 6.6 (6.9) 7.2 (N/a) 7.2 (7.0) N/a (5.4) 6.7 No in sample (4) 6 (8) 8 (N/a) 9 (4) N/a (4) 4 All employees Lower quartile (3.4) 4.0 (4.4) 5.2 (4.6) 4.0 (4.4) 4.7 (4.6) 5.2 Median (3.7) 4.6 (5.2) 5.8 (5.0) 5.0 (4.9) 4.8 (5.4) 6.0 Upper quartile (4.3) 5.3 (6.4) 6.4 (5.6) 5.5 (5.3) 5.4 (6.4) 6.3 Mean (3.7) 4.5 (5.3) 5.8 (5.1) 4.8 (4.8) 4.9 (5.9) 5.6 No. in sample (16) 19 (20) 20 (19) 30 (17) 23 (11) 12

Directorate Sickness• 2003/2004 – 7% or 18.2 days lost• 2004/2005 – 6.02% or 16.65 days• July 04 – June 05 – 5.42% or 14.09 days lost

( excludes Citywide )

• Jan 05 – Dec 05 ( last 12 months) – – Excluding Citywide:

• 4.75% or 12.36 days ( Reduction of 2.25% on 2003/2004 or 2540 days ( 12.7 staff )

– Including Citywide:• 3.6% or 9.4 days

Directorate Sickness

• At 1st July 2005 - 87no. staff on sickness stage– 54 Stage 1– 30 Stage 2– 3 Stage 3

• At 1st January 2006 –

Stages Excluding Citywide

Including Citywide

Total

Stage 1 38 47 85 Stage 2 21 9 30 Stage 3 4 0 4 Total 63 56 119

Attendance Management Policy (AMP)

• Key elements:– Health and Well being of Employees– Interests of the City Council– Ensure preventative measures are developed / implemented

• AMP utilisation:– Attendance managed through the Business Plans and

regular reporting to management team ensures implementation of AMP

– System in place to ensure return to work interviews undertaken, through SDS management. Pay withheld if SDS not returned

Provision of Absence Information

• Reporting schedule in place

• Systems for reporting need to be streamlined:– Dual systems in place SAP/Access, SAP/Timeware– Capella reports add a third level of reports, early days

• SAP to be core system, limitations in current functionality:– Multiple Contracts– Work Schedules

• Regular external comparators need to be developed

Summary– Sickness continues to reduce, due to

• Tightened Policies• Changes in recording method• Increased Management Buy-in• Changes in work organisation

– AMP gives direction• Clear processes established• Behaviour / culture changed

– Systems for Reporting• Need developing and move to single system (SAP)• Development of external comparators

Directorate Sickness

• Attendance taken seriously in the Directorate – Trading Activities.

• Actions taken:– Training / Briefing Sessions provided for managers

– HR support to managers on stage process– Revised procedure for reporting absence– Sickness reported monthly to service managers– Sickness reported to Directorate Management Team

Quarterly