Staff illness rate is still a problem for council

Employees missing wo r k b e c a u s e of illness is still proving a problem for Renfrewshire Council, data has revealed.

At the end of the latest quarter, the local authority recorded an overall absence rate of 2.97 days lost per fulltime equivalent ( FTE) employee, a figure which is 0.57 above the target of 2.4 days.

Dur ing the same reporting period - from March 26 to June 24 - the teacher absence level stood at 1.95 days lost per FTE worker, which was 0.41 above the target of 1.54 days.

The local government worker absence level of 3.28 days lost per FTE employee is 1.36 days above the target of 1.92.

Of all the services within the council, the two most affected by absence are Environment and Infrastructure and Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

The former lost 3.22 days per FTE employee and the latter was as much as 4.64.

The illness categories with the highest level of absence are recorded as psychological ( nonwork rel ated) and musculoskeletal and joint disorders.

The statistics have been revealed in a report, which will be discussed at Monday’s Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board.

Human Resources and Organisation Development are working hard to address the categories at the source of the problem.

Time for Talking - the council’s employee counselling ser vice provider - offers telephone consultations and face to face sessions.

The service is regularly

 Book now for Fibres.

This is described as a“darkly comedic” play that tells the story of a young woman and her family facing the effects of asbestosis.

It is told from a woman’s perspective and reveals that women have contracted asbestosis second hand from their husbands’clothing.

Fibres tells the story of a couple’s journey of discovery and loss, a helping people who have experienced loss, stress, anxiety, depression and issues with family relationships.

The council also delivers mindfulness and mental health first aider courses, as well as promoting the Choose Life team, who work on suicide awareness and prevention.

To tackle the issue of musculsoskeletal and joint disroders, the council offers a physiotherapy service through its occupational health provider - a service which can be accessed by all employees.

A successful pilot programme providing a physiotherapy service specifically to Environemnt and Infrastructure at the Underwood Road depot has become a permanent feature.

This involves the physio being on site two days a month, with a blend of fixed appointments and drop- in sessionsm to support workers.

daughter’s attempt to overcome her grief, and find love that she saw in her parents.

This is“a story of love, laughter and the untold legacy of Glasgow’s shipyards”.

See it at Paisley Arts Centre on Tuesday, October 22, at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £10 (£6 concession) on 0300 300 1210 or at https:// renfrewshireboxoffice.ticketsolve.com