Mid and East Antrim Council appoints officer to tackle staff sickness absence

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has appointed a dedicated officer in an effort to address high levels of staff sickness absence.

A report presented to the council’s Corporate Resources, Policy and Governance Committee said that, following a review, an officer was appointed in June “to focus on compliance with sickness absence policy, to monitor current absences, provide oversight of every absence and ensure more regular reporting of sickness absence to the senior management team”.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, the council recorded an average of 17 days lost per full-time employee due to sickness absence, exceeding its target of 15.

The report highlighted that “delays in accessing initial NHS consultant appointments, diagnostic treatments and other surgical interventions and treatments has continued to contribute towards higher levels of absence during 2024/25”.

Stress, depression and fatigue accounted for the largest proportion of absences, affecting 72 employees (32%). Of these, 73% were linked to personal circumstances such as bereavement or family illness, while 17% were work-related.

Back and neck problems were the second most common cause of absence (14%, 26 employees), followed by musculoskeletal issues (9%, 44 employees).

Infections such as colds and flu were recorded most frequently but for shorter durations. Other categories included chest and respiratory conditions (47 employees) and heart and blood pressure problems (17 employees).

In total, 10,349 working days were lost to sickness absence across 395 employees during the 12-month period. As of February 2024, the council employed 642 staff – 526 full-time, 116 part-time, 184 agency workers and 19 on fixed-term contracts.

Sixty per cent of employees had no sickness absence in 2024/25, a slight decrease from 64% the previous year.

The report noted that 85% of absences were long-term (lasting 20 working days or more), with 124 long-term absences recorded. Thirty-two staff were absent for more than 100 days, including cases linked to serious health conditions such as cancer.

Of those 32, 14 staff have since resigned, retired, or left due to ill-health retirement, dismissal on capability grounds, or voluntary severance. Thirteen have returned to work, while four remain absent.

The committee report acknowledged that Mid and East Antrim has historically recorded “amongst the highest” absence levels across all councils. Absence rates fell after the introduction of an attendance policy in April 2019, but they have risen again in the past two financial years.

The report concluded: “Council will continue to explore best practice in supporting staff to maintain good attendance levels and equip line managers to fulfil their obligations in managing attendance.”