Over 9,000 days lost to sickness by council employees

MORE than 9,000 days were lost due to sickness by employees of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) during the past year, according to newly-released figures.

Stress, depression, and mental health illnesses accounted for 28 per-cent of all sickness absences within the council, followed by musculoskeletal problems at 23 per-cent and other reasons at 16 per-cent.

Despite some improvements, the council continues to struggle with high sickness absenteeism rates. Measures were implemented to address the issue, but the desired
impact has not been fully realised.

The Sickness Absence Report for 2023-24, which includes comparative data from the past five years, shows that sickness absence levels for 2023-24 are higher compared to 2022-23, reaching one of the highest levels in the past five years. On average, 13 days were lost per employee, totaling 9,040 days lost due to sickness.

However, there is a silver lining: The number of employees with no sickness absence increased to 47.77 per-cent in 2023-24, up from 45.29 per-cent the previous year. This equates to 378 employees who did not take any sick leave during the year.

The council reports that sickness levels tend to peak between January and March, making it difficult to accommodate a large volume of annual leave requests during these months.

Long-term sickness absence accounts for up to 80 per-cent of all sickness absences within the council, with employees absent for more than 20 days being referred for regular occupational health reviews.

In his report presented to the council’s policy and resourcescommittee, John Boyle, the director of community and wellbeing, highlighted the council’s comprehensive health and wellbeing initiatives.

“These initiatives are communicated to staff via regular newsletters and the Staff-Hub, and we also have the ‘Staywell Hub,’ which provides access to a wide array of health and wellbeing resources for all employees,” he said.