Council to explore four-day working week as sickness levels soar

FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council is to explore the benefits of a four-day working week in response to soaring staff sickness levels.

It was revealed today that employees at the council took 13,000 sick days in the past year.

A total of 784 people were employed by the council during the 2024/25 financial year, which runs from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. A report carried out by the council found its staff took a total of 13,076 sick days in the past year – up from 9,040 the previous year.

The average number of days lost per employee due to sickness absence in 2024/25 was 18.6 – a rise of almost 50% from the previous year’s figure of 12.8 days.

Last year was the highest absence levels experienced by the council since it was set up in 2015 as part of the Review of Public Administration in Northern Ireland.

The sickness absence report was discussed at a meeting this evening of the council’s Policy and Resources Committee.

Speaking at the meeting, Sinn Fein councillor John Feely said the sickness figures were ‘very concerning’.

He suggested that the council look at introducing a four-day working week as ‘one of the solutions’ to the high absence rate.

Cllr Feely said ‘most studies’ following the introduction of a four-day week showed that absenteeism went down.

He admitted most of those organisations who have introduced a four-day week were in the private sector, but said a council in England had also brought in such a system.

Cllr Feely said it would be worth council officers contacting the English council to see how it had worked for them.

He proposed that the council in question be contacted and a report be prepared for local councillors.

Ulster Unionist councillor Mark Ovens said there had been a discussion within the council ‘only a matter of weeks ago’ about the possibility of a four-day week.

Cllr Ovens said the sickness rate in the council was ‘hugely concerning’ but added he was not convinced of the merits of a four-day week.

“To be completely honest, the jury is very much still out there. The evidence base does not exist. Different reports say different things,” he said.

Councillors at the meeting agreed to Cllr Feely’s proposal.

The new council report showed that 410 council employees had no sickness absence in 2024/25.

The report stated a new taskforce has been set up in a bid to address the high sickness rate within the council.

“The Managing Attendance Policy was reviewed in 2024-25 and refresher training has been delivered by HR staff to Corporate Leadership Team and Heads of Service/Lead Officers as well as other line managers and staff.

“A total of 311 employees attended the staff awareness sessions which took place in May 2025 and a recording of this training is now available on StaffHub for anyone who missed one of the live events.

“A module has also been added to Skillgate and 336 employees have completed this on-line learning module.

“An absence management taskforce has been established in March 2025 with the aim of developing and implementing targeted interventions to support the management of sickness absence aimed at reducing absenteeism within the Council and promoting improved health and wellbeing among staff.

“The Taskforce is chaired by the Director of Corporate Services and Governance and has representatives from all directorates and will meet quarterly and complete a review of effectiveness at the end of 12 months.”