The Hamilton Spectator

Staff sick days at public schools increase

Public board relying on more supply and emergency student teachers as mask mandates end

- RICHARD LEITNER

Hamilton public schools have seen a jump in pandemic-related employee sick days since the Ministry of Education ended mask mandates after the March break, forcing more use of reassigned, supply and emergency uncertifie­d student teachers.

Human resources superinten­dent Jamie Nunn said between 18 and 20 per cent of daily staff absences have been due to COVID-19 since March 21, when masks were no longer required in schools, up from 14 per cent in January and February.

But the average daily rate of unfilled jobs has held steady at 28 per cent because the board has hired 111 uncertifie­d emergency student teachers and 20 extra supply teachers, Nunn told trustees at their April 19 online human resources committee meeting.

Nunn said the board has also been reassignin­g 16 to 18 central staff per day since the March break, mostly to elementary schools, up from eight to 10 in January and February.

He said the board saw an overall increase in staff absences between Sept. 1 and Feb. 28, with the average of 8.1 sick days per employee up by a half day from the same period a year ago.

“As we are emerging from the pandemic, we are noting that there are a number of staff who are taking their full entitlemen­t of collective agreement and (employment standards) related leaves,” Nunn said.

“In the last two years, for example, staff may not have taken their full bereavemen­t leave when, sadly, they lose a family member,” he said, noting that’s changed with the return of in-person funerals.

“That too is having an impact as we support schools on a daily basis and support staff.”

Nunn said the 111 uncertifie­d emergency student teachers are in the second year of a bachelor of education program and not always available, which will change once they complete their studies in the next few weeks.

“In May and June we anticipate those emergency casual teachers will be able to pick up more work after our permanent occasional staff first have the opportunit­y to do so,” he said.

Trustee Alex Johnstone said the absence rates show the toll the pandemic is taking on staff, with more than one in four off sick on any given day, which is also having “a huge impact” on students and student achievemen­t.

She said she’s happy to see the hiring of an extra 20 supply teachers, including to allow regular teachers their contractua­l preparatio­n time, but she’d like the board to provide figures to the ministry on the price of staff absenteeis­m.

“When you lift public-health measures, there’s a cost somewhere. You’re either paying for a five-cent mask or you’re paying for additional teachers and other educators,” Johnstone said.

“Our staff have gone above and beyond. They are the first to go the extra mile for our students, but it does take its toll and I think we’re starting to see that as we see our numbers, our absenteeis­m, start to creep up,” she said.

“We need to be very mindful about burnout. Once an individual is burnt out, it’s really hard to come back from that.”

Trustee Maria Felix Miller called the ministry’s lifting of public health measures irresponsi­ble and said she views the sick days as efforts by employees to keep themselves, coworkers and students safe.

“These are just absence rates to me, not absenteeis­m, and it’s very important to distinguis­h those two things because I know that our staff don’t want to be off,” she said.

“The reality is that staff are getting COVID and they have to take time off.”

We need to be very mindful about burnout. Once an individual is burnt out, it’s really hard to come back from that.

ALEX JOHNSTONE PUBLIC SCHOOL TRUSTEE

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