Agenda item

Kate Sullivan (Lead Commissioner – Culture, Leadership and Performance) introduced the report which provided details of work undertaken over the past 12 months to promote organisational wellbeing, including key achievements in 2021/22, the priorities and action plan for 2022/23, and workforce performance data for 2021/22 with trend and benchmarking information.

In response to Councillor Millar, Kate Sullivan advised that the increase in absence rates in 2021/22 was largely due to the return to workplace settings following the requirement for many staff to work predominantly from home during the Pandemic. The easing of social distancing restrictions had led to increased transmission of colds and other viruses. This had been anticipated as a likely outcome of the transition to agile working and the absence target had been adjusted for this reason.

In response to Councillor Millar, Kate Sullivan agreed that agile working provided a means for individuals who were slightly unwell but able to work to remain at home rather than risk passing on any viruses. She emphasised the importance of ensuring that managers were able to maintain an awareness of the wellbeing requirements of staff, particularly those working remotely for long periods. She highlighted the advantages of collaboration spaces to ensure that office locations could be used flexibly to support engagement within teams.

Councillor Millar expressed support for the free on-site flu vaccination scheme. Kate Sullivan advised that the 2022 Scheme had recently been launched. Previously, the vaccination offer had attracted a good level of interest, leading to an expanded scheme for 2022.

The Chair praised the on-site vaccination scheme, stating that for a relatively low cost, the Authority could make a saving by avoiding staff absences due to flu.

In response to Councillor Millar, Kate Sullivan advised that support for stress, mental health, and workload management was tailored according to the demands of different roles across the organisation. Engagement with managers and teams was undertaken to develop an understanding of how support could be targeted. The Employee Assistance Programme provided a means to provide help and advice, particularly to individuals whose roles meant that they could be exposed to traumatic and upsetting situations.

In response to Councillor Kettle, Kate Sullivan advised that, historically, rates of absence were higher within the People Directorate. In cases where there was a risk of passing a virus on to vulnerable individuals, staff were directed to remain at home. However, approaches to limit absence rates remained a focus, including learning from areas of the organisation which had a consistently low sickness absence rate. 

In response to Councillor Hammersley, Kate Sullivan advised that the cost of arrangements to cover staff absences was difficult to measure. It was influenced by multiple factors, such as staff covering the work of absent colleagues and arrangements for agency staff. Where agency staff were taken on, the reason for the appointment was not recorded. The figure provided within the report was based on salaries; the actual cost was much more difficult to verify.

In response to Councillor Gifford, Kate Sullivan advised that, at present, managers received information relating to attendance each month by email. The proposed Managers Absence Dashboard would provide a convenient resource for managers to refer to, including data that enabled analysis of the reasons for staff absences, how this compared across the organisation, details of long-term absences, and other indicators.

In response to Councillor Kettle, Kate Sullivan advised that sickness absence data was scrutinised, enabling analysis of the number of days lost per employee across the organisation, as well as proportionately against the number of the staff who had not taken any sickness leave. Sickness absences were monitored, and indicators were in place to ensure that conversations could held with members of staff who had reached a cumulative number of absences within a set period.

Councillor Gifford sought assurance that measures were in place to monitor potential abuses of the sickness absence policy whilst ensuring that proper attention was given to individuals who required support for legitimate problems, such as mental health difficulties. He highlighted the challenges for recruitment within the current labour market which placed additional pressure on some staff.

Kate Sullivan advised that the relaunched Attendance at Work Policy placed an emphasis on supporting staff to be well in work. Where there were cases of staff failing to maintain an expected level of attendance, processes were in place. HR advisors could liaise with staff and managers to review individual cases to reach a positive outcome.

Resolved:

That the Committee:

     1.          Endorses the Leading Organisational and Wellbeing Review 2021/22 as set out at Appendix 1.

     2.          Notes the performance information in relation to the management of employee sickness absence during 2021/22 set out in Section 3 and endorses maintaining an overall target of 8 days per FTE (with a +/- 1 day tolerance) for 2022/23.

     3.          Notes the work in Our Approach to Leading Organisational Wellbeing and supports the priority actions for 2022/2023 set out Section 2.10.