Force has the lowest sick rate in country
LEICESTERSHIRE’S Thin Blue Line is keeping its officers healthy with the lowest sickness rate in the country.
Latest figures show that Leicestershie Police’s officers have come top of the league table of all forces in England and Wales for taking the fewest days’ sickness per year.
And the sickness record of Leicestershire’s Police Staff is not far behind, coming third nationally for taking the fewest days’ sick leave.
Carol Hever, head of human resources for the force, said: “For the last seven years we have been in the top quarter of all forces in England and Wales for our low sickness records, and to have come top this year for police officer sickness rates is a great tribute to our workforce.
“Our people keep themselves fit and healthy, and when they do fall ill for whatever reason they do all they can to get back to full health as quickly as possible.
“That’s to their tremendous credit and is testimony to their sense of public duty and determination to serve the public to the best of their abilities.
“Clearly, the organisation helps in many different ways. Managers and supervisors are taking early steps to support officers and staff who are ill, and with the support of HR Staff , our trade unions and staff associations, our own regional occupational health unit and in liaison with the individual and their GP, we do all we can to help people regain fitness and return to work.
“The introduction of agile working has helped people achieve a good work life balance; access to mobile data for those on the front line – together with other initiatives - has also played its part in the well-being of officers and staff; and the range of fitness and well-being classes we run has also contributed.
“With those officers and staff who are recovering from illness, wherever possible we try to provide recuperative or reduced duties for them to perform – sometimes at reduced hours - to enable them to return to the workplace in a phased programme.
“But it is ultimately the dedication, commitment and professionalism of the workforce that has achieved these low sickness rates.
“We are operating with fewer officers and staff against a backdrop of growing demand from an increasing population, and without their commitment to stay fit and healthy and, when necessary, recover from sickness quickly and get back to work, we would not be seeing such impressive figures.
“At a time when police budgets are being cut and we are having to operate with hundreds fewer officers and police staff as a result, it becomes even more critical that we have as many officers and staff available for duty as possible.”