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£4.4m That's how much council staff are costing you by taking time off sick

DONCASTER Council employees are costing the taxpayer £4.4 million every year - by taking an average of more than a fortnight off sick.

A Star probe shows staff such as social workers, librarians, traffic wardens and dinner ladies have more time off than front-line emergency workers such as firefighters, nurses and police.

Records released under the Freedom of Information Act show an average council employee calls in sick 11.7 times a year. This figure is 10.5 for firefighters, 10 for primary care trust staff, 8.5 for police and 8.24 for teachers. The council claims it has got several policies in place to reduce sickness levels.

Managing director Susan Law told The Star: "These include a comprehensive attendance management policy and pro-active health and well-being initiatives to address long-term health issues.

"We are also in the middle of a review to see if we can make any further improvements.

"As one of the largest metropolitan councils in the country, and with over 14,000 staff, managing attendance levels can be challenging. "It is pleasing to note that our policies are having an affect as overall levels of staff absence are falling year on year and the estimated cost to the council is also decreasing."

The Star can reveal anxiety and depression cause 15 per cent of absenteeism among council staff.

Back pain and stress each account for nine per cent. The other most common excuses are flu and arthritis.

Community group leader Coun Martin Williams blamed the poor attendance rate on low morale.

He said: "I think it's down to all the restructuring. Employees are unsure of their job prospects. Departments are being merged, which means people can be doing the same job for less money. The budget problems also mean staff haven't got the money to do their jobs properly.

"Basically they're off because of the stress of working for Doncaster Council."

A National Office of Statistics survey found women were worse offenders than men. The report said: "Among men, those aged 16 to 24 were most likely to be off sick with 2.6 per cent of employees taking at least one day off. Among women, those aged 25 to 34 had the highest rate - 3.5 per cent."

28 June 2006 Doncaster Star