The Department gives managing sickness absence the importance it deserves. Our policy ‘Managing Sickness Absence—promoting attendance at work’ promotes a positive approach to managing and responding to sickness absence.
Human Resources routinely make contact with line managers and members of staff at agreed absence trigger points, advising on the policy and support available to maximise attendance and support health and well-being at work. This can include occupational health referrals, return to work interviews, making use of the employee assistance programme, and consideration of reasonable adjustments to the role or physical environment.
Human Resources provide continued support to managers and members of staff in maintaining acceptable attendance levels and advising on process for formal action where acceptable attendance levels cannot be sustained.
In December 2008, the Department published its policy on health and well-being for all its staff. One of the aims of the policy is to improve attendance at work.
A new more proactive occupational health service is being tendered now which will also have an impact on attendance at work.
The number of days of sickness absence taken by staff in the core Department in each of the last 12 months are as follows:
Total number of sickness absence days December 2008 1,694 January 2009 1,552 February 2009 1,297 March 2009 1,385 April 2009 1,290 May 2009 1,361 June 2009 1,355 July 2009 1,647 August 2009 1,230 September 2009 1,319 October 2009 1,583 November 2009 1,704
Total estimated cost of absence for period was £2,782,214. In future this information for the core Department will be published on its website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm
The number of days of sick leave taken by staff in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in each of the last 12 months are presented as follows. Please note that MHRA sickness figures run one month behind so the year to date figures are as follows:
Total number of sickness absence days November 2008 692 December 2008 796 January 2009 885 February 2009 794 March 2009 616 April 2009 785 May 2009 698 June 2009 635 July 2009 815 August 2009 998 September 2009 831 October 2009 831
Total cost of absence in MHRA for the period was £1,254,772.94.
The number of days of sick leave taken by staff in the NHS Procurement and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) in each of the last 12 months are as follows:
Total number of sickness absence days December 2008 209.5 January 2009 149 February 2009 117.5 March 2009 116.5 April 2009 89 May 2009 82.5 June 2009 79.5 July 2009 119 August 2009 103.5 September 2009 71.5 October 2009 102 November 2009 46
For the period December 2008 to November 2009 the estimated total cost of sickness absence to NHS PASA was £177,815.