Archived decisions

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Personnel Committee Item 9

21 April 2004

Attendance Management

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Contact: Jennifer McNeill, Head of Human Resources

Tel: 023 8064 4000 Ext 2348

1

Summary

1.1

To advise Members on the progress being made by the Service over the last year regarding reducing absence attributed to sickness or injury and maintaining optimum attendance levels and productivity.

2

Background

2.1

Over the last two years, one of the key tasks of the Human Resources (HR) Department has been `Improving Attendance at Work' by taking proactive measures to reduce levels of sickness absence. The focus of our approach has been on raising awareness of employees about the importance of good attendance at work, training and supporting managers to fulfil their responsibilities, reviewing the Service policy on Sickness Absence Management and providing further support mechanisms to our employees to seek to pre-empt some of the issues which tend to lead to absence from work or to expedite their return to work following sickness or injury. In addition, we continue to work closely with the providers of our management information system to try to improve the recording and reporting systems available to us.

2.2

In addition to the above, we have worked successfully with our external auditors in formulating and implementing our Management Action Plan. The actions identified as part of our attendance strategy are now complete.

3

Actions Carried Out Over the Year

3.1

A series of training sessions have been carried out by members of the HR Department with small groups of managers and a training package has been prepared, accessible from the website and from the work locations. Further training sessions are planned for April and May for Green Book Managers and any Grey Book managers who have not been available to attend to date.

3.2

The role of line managers is critical in ensuring the effective implementation of the Sickness Absence Management Policy, supported by the HR function and Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare. Function heads are becoming more involved with the management of sickness in their areas of responsibility and line managers are attending the case review meetings with the Employee Relations team and occupational health, where necessary, to discuss the more complex cases and how these are best managed. This is giving those managers greater confidence, working with their personnel to reduce absence and optimise attendance levels. It also assists in ensuring our actions comply with good employment practice. This also enables all the support mechanisms available to both the managers and employees to be fully utilised.

3.3

The return to work meetings are particularly effective in highlighting the Service's position regarding absence and ensuring that it does not go un-noticed. By jointly discussing reasons for this with the employee, there is more likelihood that any factors contributing to absence can be resolved at the most local level. To reinforce this good practice, the sickness form, which has to be completed in all cases of absence, has been reviewed and Part B has to be completed and signed by the line manager and employee during the return to work meeting before it is sent to the HR department. Any forms which are not returned are then followed up. The reverse of the form also contains guidance notes on what should be covered at the meeting. In addition, the return to work meeting is one of the Quality Assurance Measures of the HR Department which has a target of 100% compliance. This has been in place since May 2003 and at that time, the target was not met. However, since the revised service order on Sickness Absence Management was issued in June 2003, with a requirement that the return to work meetings take place, the 100% target has subsequently been achieved on a random sample of sickness cases which are followed up on a quarterly basis through the line manager and a check of records.

3.4

The Service has been operating a facility for private referral for employees to expedite a diagnosis or prognosis for some time. This is carried out in conjunction with the employee's GP and Occupational Health and is particularly relevant where the NHS timescales will unduly delay the provision of medical information to assist us in making informed decisions about the employee's condition and likely return to work date, or duration of absence. The employee normally makes a 50% contribution towards these costs, however, in exceptional circumstances of hardship, or where the employee has already contributed and the process is lengthy, then the Service will consider 100% funding.

3.5

The fast-track physiotherapy service offered by Occupational Health continues to be well attended and highly regarded. We consider there to be clear benefits both in reducing absence levels and in demonstrating our commitment to assisting our employees in their recovery and return to work through providing this support at the early stage of an injury, whether or not work-related. The fitness assessment, training regime and health promotion campaigns are all proactive elements of this strategy. By improving fitness levels, we anticipate that where injuries do occur, the absences are likely to be shortened.

3.6

The Service's Substance Misuse Policy now has a greater emphasis on support to employees. This includes an amnesty period of three months whereby support will be provided for anyone who believes they have a problem with substances. This has been backed up by a poster campaign and training package to raise awareness amongst our employees preceding the introduction of testing.

3.7

The medical information provided in concluding all ill health cases is fully considered by the Head of Human Resources, having taken advice from the Occupational Health Physician (OHP) providing this service. Management recommendations for ill health retirement under both the Local Government Pension Scheme and the Firemen's Pension Scheme are finally assessed by an independent Occupational Health Physician to ensure that our decisions are robust and consistent.

3.8

In addition to our policy on Sickness Absence Management, the Service has reviewed its provision of an external Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). A tender process was recently completed and we are currently negotiating the contract details with the preferred supplier. It is our intention to greatly enhance the service that was previously available, by extending the support and advice facility to the family members of our employees. As before, this will cover all aspects which may concern our employees whether or not work-related, e.g. family relationships, debt counselling, bereavement. This confidential service, providing telephone or face to face counselling, will continue to be provided free of charge to our employees and their families. The Service will be provided with a statistical report of usage.

4

Sickness Absence Statistics

4.1

Days lost due to sickness absence are recorded under two separate categories under the Best Value Performance Indicators, `Working days/shifts lost to sickness absence - 12a refers to `Wholetime Uniformed Staff' and 12b to `All staff'.

The figures shown in the following tables reflect actual sickness absence data for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004.

BVPI 12 (a) Working days/shifts lost to Sickness Absence - Wholetime Staff

Financial Year

Forecast/Out-turn

Target

Variance

2003/04

8.4

8.5

0.1

2002/03

10.3

8.5

-1.8

2001/02

11.3

8.5

-2.8

BVPI 12 (b) Working days/shifts lost to Sickness Absence - All Staff

Financial Year

Forecast/Out-turn

Target

Variance

2003/04

8.3

8.0

-0.3

2002/03

8.6

8.0

-0.6

2001/02

14.0

8.0

-6.0

These Best Value Performance Indicators demonstrate that the Service has made good progress in reducing absence at work from 11.3 days to 8.4 days per wholetime uniformed person per year, amounting to a 26 % reduction and from 14 days to 8.3 days for all staff, amounting to a 41% reduction.

5

Termination of Employment on Grounds of Ill Health

5.1

Termination of employment on grounds of ill health can be due to premature retirement on grounds of permanent ill health, or termination of employment on grounds of medical capability where the condition is not permanent but recovery, or return to work, is not expected within a reasonable time frame.

5.2

The tables below illustrate the Best Value Performance Indicators for ill health retirements either under the Firemen's Pension Scheme, or the Local Government Pension Scheme in the cases of permanent ill health.

BVPI 15 (a) % Employees retiring through ill health - Firemen's Pension Scheme

Financial Year

Forecast/Out-turn

Target

Variance

2003/04

0.39%

1.7%

1.31%

2002/03

0.92%

1.7%

0.78%

2001/02

2.4%

1.7%

-0.7%

BVPI 15 (b) % Employees retiring through ill health - Local Government Pension Scheme

Financial Year

Forecast/Out-turn

Target

Variance

2003/04

0.43%

0.43%

0.0%

2002/03

0.86%

0.45%

-0.41%

2001/02

0.00%

0.45%

0.45%

The number of employees who have left the Service on grounds of medical incapacity in year 2003/04 are nil.

6

Financial Implications

6.1

Additional funding of £20,000 was approved as part of the 2004/05 budget to support the cost of the fast-track physiotherapy service. Other costs are met from within existing budgets.

7

Conclusion

7.1

Although Improving Attendance at Work will not be a key task for 2004/05, the initiatives will continue to progress and will remain a significant area for all managers, in line with our BVPIs. The monitoring of attendance levels will continue to form the basis for annual reports to the Fire Authority.

8

European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998

8.1

The proposals within this report are compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 and considered in the light of the Race Relations (amendment) Act 2000.

Recommendation

To note the Report and endorse the approach taken and will continue to be taken to continue to improve attendance at work.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Papers

The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report.

None.

Note: The list excludes:

(1) Published works

(2) Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act