A warning has been given that Angus Council must get a grip on workforce issues after figures revealed spiralling sickness absence since the pandemic.
Teacher absence rates are heading towards double what they were before Covid struck.
And the average across the authority’s 4,800-strong workforce was nearly a fortnight of sick days in 2022/23.
Staff turnover of almost 10% and an increase in temporary employees have led one councillor to warn “people can only take so much”.
Councillor ‘hugely concerned’ by staffing issues
Arbroath councillor Lois Speed said she was “hugely concerned” around staffing issues and the potential knock-on impact on council services.
She flagged her worries during a scrutiny committee on Tuesday.
A best value study of the council workforce plan praised positive work in a host of areas.
Those included good use of apprenticeships and programmes to develop the young workforce.
But it also highlighted challenges the council faces in recruiting and retaining staff.
The report revealed that in 2020/21, teacher absence levels averaged 4.2 days a year.
The 2022/23 figure was 7.43.
And in the same period the average sickness absence rate for other council staff went from 10.5 to almost 14 days per annum.
Councillor Speed said pandemic changes such as agile or home working, and the increase in temporary staff, were a concern.
Covid’s dramatic effect on working practices has left its Angus House HQ in Forfar almost half empty.
The council has embarked on a marketing campaign to try to find a tenant or buyer for the building.
A review of the authority’s top-level management is also currently under way.
Councillor Speed said: “I have a concern for the workforce as a whole in terms of the amount of changes, reviews and uncertainty they continue to go through year on year.
“The impact that has on their wellbeing and I guess ultimately the impact that has on our communities and the services that we provide.
“Everything has its place, whether that’s temporary staff, agile working or working from home.
“All of those flexibilities are great but I’m hugely concerned the knock-on impact that has.
“People can only take so much.”
HR boss highlights ‘fit for the future’ strategy
Council HR director Sharon Faulkner said: “Sickness absence had reduced. It went back up again significantly through Covid.
“There is an ongoing trend, psychological issues tend to be the most significant issues people are reporting as being absent with.
“It can lead to longer term absences as well.”
She added: “But we have a fit for the future programme we have implemented this year.
“We are working on various themes about how we work with our workforce and make sure they area as fit and healthy – both psychologically and physically – as they can be.”
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