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The civil service lost almost 5,000 more days to staff sickness in 2022 compared to the previous year, and close to 10,000 more hours than 2020.
The recently published States Annual Report and Accounts reveal that sickness within the 8,000-strong organisation continued to climb last year, despite the waning impact of the covid pandemic.
In 2022, sickness totalled 67,586 days – the equivalent of 185 years – compared to 62,615 in 2021. That year, covid-related illness accounted for 4,976 of those days.
In 2020, 6,995 days were lost to covid, so there was a 29% fall in covid-related absence between 2020 and 2021.
Last year, covid-related illness was not recorded separately, although it remained the largest cause of sickness.
In pre-covid 2019, employees were absent for a total of 42,430 days, meaning that there has been a 60% increase in the number of days lost to sickness between 2019 and 2022.
As a percentage of the total working time lost to sickness, the figures are more stable: in 2021 and 2022 it remained at 4%, although in 2019 it was 3%.
Each employee took an average of nine days off sick last year. In the UK civil service, in the year to March 2022, the figure was 7.9 days.
In 2022, the most common reasons for absence were Covid (20.8%), closely followed by colds, coughs, and flu (19%).
In her Delivery Plan for this year, Chief Minister Kristina Moore has pledged to undertake another ‘Be Heard’ staff survey – the results of which will be used to help the Council of Ministers improve staff performance and culture.
Conducted in 2020, the last all-staff survey showed that employees across all departments – bar the Law Officers' Department – felt exhausted after work or spent too much time working. Scores were particularly low in Health and Community Services, which also had the highest proportion of employees feeling highly anxious, with 16%.
Pictured: The results of the previous all-staff survey 'Be Heard' raised concerns about wellbeing of Health Department workers.
In terms of actions to address more people going off sick, the Government says that it has introduced a new contract with AXA Healthcare in 2022.
The Annual Report states: “AXA provides an Occupational Health service to employees, alongside confidential access to information and resources on a wide range of work related or domestic topics. AXA also provides a greater level of signposting, self-supported health, and access to talking therapies and confidential support lines.”
The Government adds that it has introduced a central recording of all sickness absence for the first time, has improved accuracy and reporting.
There are also some units where there is a high contraction rate for covid, higher than private-sector comparators.
It adds: “During 2022, there was a reduction in the number of bullying and harassment cases reported, indicating continued progress to improving our culture.
“Bullying and Harassment and Whistleblowing policies are now embedded, alongside an independent reporting service run by Navex Global, where our employees can report concerns.”
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