Issue - meetings

Report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services that provided information on the levels of discipline, grievance, dignity at work and sickness absence within the Council (excluding schools).

The report indicated that the management of the workforce was an important activity to ensure that outcomes for Sefton’s communities were achieved and to ensure that the workforce was appropriately managed and motivated.

Annex 1 to the report provided a breakdown of disciplinary, grievance and dignity at work formal cases from October 2020 to September 2021; and it was noted that the Council enjoyed a comparatively good level of cases as a result of the good overall industrial relations environment, the partnership approach that was undertaken and the work undertaken within departments; and that a lot of effort was taken to avoid formal procedures where possible.

The report also provided information on the number of employees suspended from the authority and advised that suspension took place in order to facilitate an investigation into matters which could result in dismissal for gross misconduct.

The report advised that during the current year the Council had changed its HR/Payroll system; that the information contained in the report covered the first 2 quarters to provide 6 months’ worth of the most recent data based on the new system; that going forward reports would resume to providing data for a full 12 months; and that the Council’s (excluding schools) percentage sickness absence was 5.15% (1.72% short term and 3.43% long term).

Annex 2 to the report provided statistical information by service area.

The report concluded by advising that the Council had a Sickness Absence Policy which operated in a partnership with trade unions; that long term absence was being dealt with in accordance with overall business need and short-term absence was operated in accordance with recognised and agreed trigger points; that all policies, where applicable, were subject to modification in accordance with the Equality Act 2010; and that trade unions and management recognised the need for correct management of sickness absence to provide appropriate support to lessen the demands on employees who remained at work.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       How the target for sickness absence was reached.

·       Could the trends from 2019 be included within the data the next time the issue was considered by the Committee?

·       The impact of morale on staff sickness in the public sector.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the discipline, grievance, dignity at work and sickness levels and the latest information in respect of ongoing work be noted;

(2)      the initiatives currently being implemented to monitor and encourage the reduction of levels of both short and long-term absence be noted; and

(3)      the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services be requested to include trends from 2019 within the data the next time the issue is considered by the Committee.