Perth and Kinross Council staff averaged more than 12 sick days off last year.
The 12.4 day figure is contained in a new Audit Scotland report for 2023-24.
The council’s human resources (HR) chief says the figures are part of a national upward trend.
And she claims bosses across the organisation are looking to see how best absence levels can be managed.
More than a quarter of Perth and Kinross Council staff are now hybrid workers.
The others are permanently working from home, from a fixed base or are classed as mobile.
Rising sick days not just an issue for Perth and Kinross Council
The 12.4 sick day total was presented to the council’s audit and risk committee this week.
Its convener David Illingworth said: “That seems to me, slightly high.
“Is this something that’s being dealt with or tackled?”
HR manager Pauline Johnstone responded: “The average across all of Scotland is actually increasing.
“We do have a team dedicated as part of the People and Culture Review that’s looking at employee relations and wellbeing,” she added.
“And we’re working closely with strategic leads to look at what other support mechanisms we can put in place to assist them to manage their absence levels throughout the council.”
Workforce ageing too
Another key challenge facing Perth and Kinross Council is its ageing workforce.
Four out of 10 employees are now over 50 and just 12% under the age of 30.
There was an 8.6%Â turnover in permanent staff last year.
And an employee survey in the spring found seven out of 10 respondents were likely to recommend the council as an employer.
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