ALMOST 10,000 COUNCIL WORKERS TOO ILL TO WORK

"Council staff off sick long-term soars by fifth since pandemic"

 

Telegraph: 24 April 2024: Report on results of an FOI sent by the Liberal Democrats to all Councils in England

"...Critics said the increase since the pandemic highlighted the need to crack down on those using poor health as a reason not to work...

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former business secretary, said...“The extraordinary rise in sickness in the public sector is surely a management problem rather than a health one."...

Darwin Friend, head of research at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers are fed up with the sick leave culture that has spread like an epidemic from Whitehall to town halls. The public sector posts far higher sick leave than the private sector, which is shocking... Local government should... aim to bring levels in line with the private sector.”...

...Helen Morgan, the Lib Dems’ local government spokesman, called on ministers to cut waiting lists and ensure people receive good quality care so they can return to work faster. "These figures reveal a long-term sickness epidemic hitting local councils across the country,” she said..."...

FULL ARTICLE HERE