Civil service staff record five year high in absence rates

By David Hunter

Anxiety, Stress, and Depression account for most of the staff absenses in the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Illness is at it's highest level in five years, with 12.4 days lost on average, per employee.

That's compared with 11.7 days the year before. 

Over 49% of staff missed no days, with one in eight recording a long term absence of more than three months. 

The report's key findings highlighted that 12.4 days lost per staff year represented 5.6% of the available working days in 2016/2017.

In salary terms, this equated to an estimated £32.7million of lost production - the equivalent to around 3.8% of the total pay bill.

Government department's also varied in the average number of days taken off per staff members.

Absence the Executive Office stood at 7.9% , compared to 15.3 days for the Department of Justice.

DOJ however, was the only Department to record lower absence level this year, compared to last.

Women also took more days off than their male counterparts, with an average of 14.7 days, compared to 10.4% for men.

Over half of the disparity has been due to gender-specific conditions.