Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Liz Robinson (Chair and UNISON Convenor) and Councillor Rowan Clarke.

To note any urgent items of business which the Chairman has consented to being considered under the provisions of Section 100(B) 4(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business to be considered at the meeting.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a)  any business on the agenda

b)  any urgent additional items to be considered

c)  any matters arising out of those items

and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

There were no declarations made at the meeting.

To consider the minutes of the last meeting held on 5^th June 2024

Moved by Councillor Vicky Wapplington and seconded by Councillor Mary Dooley

RESOLVED that the minutes of a meeting of the Union / Employee Consultation Committee held on 5^th June 2024 be approved as a true and correct record.

The HR and Payroll Manager presented the Sickness Absence Quarter 1 report for April to June 2024.  The report set out the average number of days lost per employee for Quarter 1 2024/25 was 2.24 days – the projected outturn figure for the average number of days lost per employee for 2024/25 was 8.96 days.  The annual target for the Local Performance Indicator to the end of March 2024 was 8.5 days.

Tables 1, 2 and 3 of the attached Appendix 1 detailed the key patterns and trends experienced corporately in relation to sickness absence.  Table 1 showed the total loss from sickness absence for Quarter 1 2024/25 was £88,097.39.  Table 2 showed the Long Term (72%) and Short Term (28%) percentages.  Table 3 showed the top 3 reasons of absence, being “Other Muscular/Skeletal”, “Operations/Hospital” and “Stress/Depression”.

Key trends in the data revealed the following:

·       The overall average days lost due to sickness in Quarter 1 2024/25 was 2.24; this had decreased from Quarter 4 2023/24 and was the lowest Quarter 1 in terms of average days lost since 2022/23;

·       There was a direct correlation between employees undertaking physically demanding work and high levels of sickness.  This was reinforced by Muscular/Skeletal absences regularly being in the top three reasons for sickness absence;

·       Three services had experienced zero sickness in Quarter 1 and a further six services had experienced less than 1 day per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee;

·       Stress/Depression had remained in the top three reasons for absence since 2019/20;

·       There were ten cases of absence due to Stress/Depression during Quarter 1 2024/25, five of which were work related, five none work related;

·       COVID-19 accounted for 12 days lost due to sickness in Quarter 1 2024/25, which had slightly increased in comparison to five days lost in Quarter 4 2023/4;

·       There were 18 long term cases in this quarter; 14 were due to physical health ailments and four cases were related to Stress/Depression (all of which were work related).  Appropriate support and assistance were being provided to facilitate support for those who had returned to work and those planning to do so.  Five employees had since returned to work and eight remained absent, five of which had left the Council’s employ.

To a question on the causes of “Other Muscular/Skeletal” absences, the HR and Payroll Manager informed that this was not due to ill posture of staff at their desks (though this remained monitored), but from those employed in manual jobs where accidents could occur.  While the issue of ill posture was difficult to assess for those Working From Home (WFH), absences as a result of ill posture were decades in the making and still not as common as those in more physically demanding roles.

A Member noted that while the Cycle to Work was available to encourage health and wellbeing and to address carbon emissions, using busy roads with high levels of air pollution may not be as beneficial to cyclists as desired.

To a question on whether it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item UECC14-24/25