THE number of sick days taken by workers with the region’s biggest employer increased last year.
In 2023-24 there were 13.10 working days lost with Dumfries and Galloway Council due to sickness absence, which is an increase of 11.3 percent in the last 12 months.
The number of sick days attributed to mental health issues has also risen by nearly five percent, according to the council’s annual workforce report for 2024.
The top three reasons for staff calling in sick were: non-workplace related stress; stomach, liver, kidney, lung and digestion issues; and other musculoskeletal issues including neck, limbs, general joint problems such as arthritis and bone or muscle disorders.
The report states: “We continue to see the same top three absence reasons as previous reporting years. However, this year reports an increase of 4.81 percent of mental health absence reasons, which is the first increase in several years.
“Depression and other psychiatric reasons for mental health absence remain static since last year, with a reduction of one percent in stress (workplace related) cases and an increase of five percent for stress (non-workplace related).
“We continue to monitor the increase in sickness absence levels, and over the last reporting year a number of improvement actions have been undertaken to improve the absence levels.”
A targeted focus has been placed on long term absences, areas of high absences, work-related stress absences to ensure early intervention where any staff member reports a sickness absence.
Other proactive steps include a continued focus on employee health and wellbeing, including the launch of newly-formed wellbeing champions roles and delivery of mental health training to 300 middle and frontline managers (including schools).
The workforce report document, which will be presented to councillors next week, explains that the absence rate is still lower than the Scottish council average of 13.90 working days lost.
A change in sickness reporting has also influenced the stats.
The report states: “New information relating to covid absences is included in sickness absence information this year, based on a national change of reporting policy. Previously this information was excluded from recording and reporting purposes.”
Last year, the council had a workforce of 6700 people. A total of 525 employees left the organisation between April 2023 and March 2024, while 504 new starts were taken on.
The average age of council workers is 46 years, and women make up three quarters of the workforce.
