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 outcomes for Sefton’s communities were achieved and to ensure that the workforce was appropriately managed and motivated. Specific information was provided on:

·       Disciplinary, Grievance and Dignity at Work - the organisation enjoyed a comparatively good level of cases and this reflected on the whole, both the good overall industrial relations environment, the partnership approach that was undertaken and also the work undertaken within departments

·       The Strategic Leadership Board continuing to monitor and encourage the reduction of levels of both short and long-term absence; and that the Personnel Team worked closely with departments providing information and advice and appropriate levels of support, advising managers on informal processes and assisting managers with the more formal and complex levels of sickness absence management 

·       The Occupational Health Unit providing counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy on a face-to-face basis

·       Physiotherapy appointments arranged through the OH Unit as were pension assessments for ill health, ill health pension appeals and deferred pension cases

·       The Council’s Sickness Absence Policy which operated in a partnership with trade unions

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

·       Assurances were sought that sickness absence in areas of the Council where it was highest was being addressed.

·       If agency staff were paid for sickness absence.

·       If flexible working arrangements and agile working were helping to reduce sickness absence.

·       The perception of Occupational Health Unit and the need to portray interventions as being positive.

·       Reasons for stress profiles being higher in certain services and support offered.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the report providing information in terms of discipline, grievance, dignity at work and sickness levels be noted; and

(2)      the ongoing work and initiatives to monitor and encourage the reduction of levels of both short and long-term absence be noted.