In 2005, staff reported an average of eight days worth of sickness absence, compared with ten days in 2004. This was helped by a particular reduction in long term and/ or psychological related absences.

The reduction follows an increased corporate focus on the issue. This has been reflected in closer monitoring by senior management; the introduction of improved management policies and procedures for handling sickness absence; better support for managers through a new HR structure; and additional training. The recruitment of a full time occupational health doctor has also helped to focus particular attention on resolving long term sickness absence cases.

Further developments are expected soon as the HR department is in the process of introducing a new electronic ‘Snowdrop’ HR system.  This system should simplify the absence recording process and provide better quality information to managers at all levels on sickness absence trends.

Despite these improvements, the report says there is a risk that sickness absence rates could rise again because of ongoing organisational change, including the merger of the Welsh Assembly Government with a number of former Assembly Sponsored Public Bodies which has increased staffing levels by around 1,500. However, so far, this risk has not materialised.

The report makes a number of recommendations to refine existing sickness absence management procedures. These include:

• issuing additional guidance to line managers to clarify some of the details in the sickness absence policy and procedures;
• using the Snowdrop HR system to record and report sickness absence relative to contracted time lost, taking account of the increasing flexibility of working patterns across the organisation;
• evaluating whether arrangements for corporate health services and HR support remain fit for purpose as the National Assembly for Wales expands and becomes more geographically dispersed.

 
The Auditor General, Jeremy Colman, said today:

“Improved sickness absence management is producing better results across the National Assembly for Wales. This shows what can be achieved when organisations commit time and resources to tackling this issue. It is important that management across the National Assembly for Wales continue to keep a close watch on levels of sickness absence, especially during this period of organisational change.”    

Notes to Editors:

• This report examines whether there are effective arrangements in place for managing staff sickness absence across the National Assembly for Wales. In particular, it considers whether management understand the scale of sickness absence across the organisation and whether robust arrangements are in place to prevent sickness absence and to manage it pro-actively when it occurs.

• The report covers staff employed by the Assembly Parliamentary Service and Welsh Assembly Government, but not Assembly members and their staff, and focuses on the arrangements in place for managing sickness absence prior to the recent merger between the Welsh Assembly Government and a number of former Assembly Sponsored Public Bodies (from 1 April 2006).

• This is the third report on public sector sickness absence management by the Auditor General for Wales. His previous reports are The Management of Sickness Absence by NHS Trusts in Wales (January 2004) and The Management of Sickness Absence in Further Education Institutions in Wales (May 2005). Both are available from www.wao.gov.uk

• The National Assembly for Wales currently employs around 6,500 staff, with budgeted staff costs of £222 million for 2006/2007 (not including Assembly Members and their staff).

• The Wales Audit Office is independent of government and is responsible for the annual audit of some £19 billion of annual public expenditure.

• The Wales Audit Office was created on 1 April 2005 following the passing of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004, which expanded the functions of the Auditor General for Wales and enabled the transfer of staff from the Audit Commission in Wales and National Audit Office in Wales to his employment.

Ends

For more information please contact Rachel Harries (Communications and Media Officer) on 029-2026-2675 or email rachel.harries@wao.gov.uk