STAFF sickness cost Blackburn with Darwen Council almost £2 million last year.

Overall estimated salary cost to the council reduced by £181,982 in 2018/19, taking the cost of reported absence to £1,921,698.

Working days lost due to sickness absence has reduced to 8.81 days per full time equivalent.

This compares with 5.69 in Burnley, 7.36 in Hyndburn, 10.15 in Ribble Valley, 10.62 in Rossendale and 11.96 at Lancashire County Council.

Over the last financial year, 12 employees have left the council following improving attendance management.

A further seven employees left following a settlement agreement, two were dismissed with ill health retirement and three were dismissed due to capability

In a report to go before the council’s policy overview and scrutiny committee, director of HR David Fairclough said: “We have already done a lot in the past 2 years, more than other authorities and this has had a positive impact on the cost of sickness absence and preventing employee absences.

“However more can be done to help with the cost of absence and improving health and wellbeing.

“This of course does require a dedicated, additional resources and funding as there are cost implications to providing some support i.e. physio for MSK related illness and putting on more health and wellbeing activities as 95 per cent of these are provided free of charge by volunteers & employees themselves.

“This also needs to be an ongoing programme to ensure continuous improvement, as the health and wellbeing of our employees should be a priority, as the employees are the council’s biggest assets.

“Studies have shown that employers who offer employee health and wellbeing programmes build and sustain high employee morale; drive effective recruitment and retention; improve productivity; and. reduce the damaging trend of presentism.”

In February, the council introduced sickness challenges where each month a team’s sickness absences are reviewed in a session with a panel.

Bosses hope a broader approach to wellbeing, behavioural, cultural issues in sickness absence and developing a joint culture and approach will reduce sickness absence.

The review includes live sickness cases, areas of concerns, any anomalies or patterns of absence and if managers require support in managing these absences.

Absences caused by mental health issues cost the council around £500,000 over the last year with 4,387 working days being lost.

Mr Fairclough added: "This does not take into account the other costs that can be factored in to this absence reason such as intervention, on-going support, staffing costs and presentism.

"This figure could also be greatly under reported as we know that 1 in 4 people are struggling with mental ill health at any one time, there is still a stigma around speaking up and other absences maybe being used to mask mental ill health."

The report will be discussed by scrutiny committee members on Monday.