THE chief executive of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has warned employees that “costly” sick leave is of “significant concern” after it emerged that absenteeism within the organisation is increasing.
The estimated average days lost per Council employee last year was 12.85 days which equates to 4.7 per cent of lost time. As a result, the Council missed its own performance target of no more than 10 and a half days absence per employee. 
The issue was outlined in an e-mail to employees last month, a copy of which has been seen by The Impartial Reporter. In it, Brendan Hegarty urged employees “to work with your line manager and take all reasonable steps to protect your health and as far as possible prevent illness.”
“The current absence levels are of significant concern and it will not be possible to sustain this level of absenteeism in the long term,” he warned.
Mr. Hegarty said he recognised that from time to time employees will experience illness “which necessitates a period of absence from work and the occupational sick pay arrangements are available to support employees at such times.”
“I would, however, wish to draw your attention the fact that sickness absence levels within the Council are progressively increasing and that the performance target set by the council of no more than 10 and a half days absence per employee was not met last year.”
He said the Council has committed to a target of no more than 10.5 days sickness absence per employee in the current financial year.
In his e-mail, Mr. Hegarty explained that absenteeism is costly for the Council “not only in terms of the payment of sick pay but also the lost productivity and the impact on other employees who are trying to maintain service levels with less people.”
“It also impacts on our ability to continually provide a high quality service delivery to the citizens of our district and therefore has the potential to impact on everyone in our district.”
He added: “It is very credible to note that 221 employees out of our total workforce of approximately 750 have had no sickness absence at all since the commencement of their employment with Fermanagh and Omagh District and that more than half our employees – 457 have had no sickness absence in the last financial year. I would like to pay tribute to all of those employees who have successfully achieved full attendance.”
The matter of sickness absence is discussed in detail at the Council’s monthly senior management team meeting and it was recently an item for discussion at Policy and Resources Committee.
“The Council recently approved the well being risk assessment policy which is particularly targeted at supporting employees who may be experiencing personal or work related stress,” he said.