Angus Council staff sick pay bill 'too high' with £6m paid last year

Angus councillors have raised concerns over the cost of staff sickness absences.

A report on absence trends and the cost to the local authority in recent years went before councillors at a meeting on Tuesday.

The report revealed the average number of days lost in 2024/25 was 13.3 for local government staff, which contributed to a sick pay bill of more than £6 million last year.

It also detailed that Angus teachers were off for an average of 8.4 days in 2024/25.

Alarm raised over sickness absence rates

Speaking at the policy and resources meeting, councillor David Cheape said: “What’s most shocking here is the cost that’s come through the last year is very much in line with previous years.

“The cumulative impact of that really makes you stand back. When we look at the actual budget pressures we are under as a council, actually this amount of money is being spent on absence from work.”

The difference between teacher absence rates and local government staff was highlighted as a particular area of concern for some councillors.

Montrose councillor Iain Gall added: “The average teacher figure is a working week less than across the board.

“I find that staggering given the volatile and difficult industry they work in.”

Speaking during the meeting, HR chief Sharon Faulkner said the reasons for the difference between the teacher and local government absence rates were “difficult to ascertain”.

“It’s been that way for many years,” she said.

“I don’t think it is because managers in the local government side are not trying to manage or employing the same things they do within education.

“Perhaps it is something to do with a mindset and working with young people on a daily basis and feeling they have to be there.”

Psychological reasons remain the main cause of time away from work

Council chiefs also outlined that mental ill-health remains the main cause of time off among the authority’s workforce.

During the meeting, assistant chief executive Ian Lorimer made assurances that six-monthly updates on the issue would be brought before councillors.

“We need to do better,” he added.

“The cost is too high, and we need to bring it down, almost regardless of how we’re comparing with other local authorities.

“This is important from a leadership team point of view, it’s important clearly for elected members and it’s important in the eyes of the general public who are our taxpayers.

“So this is something there will be a focus on.”