REPORT FOR: PERFORMANCE AND FINANCE SCRUTINY SUB-COMMITTEE Date f Meeting: 6 January 2015 Subject: Staff Survey and Sickness Absence Mnitring Results and Actin plans Respnsible Officer: Scrutiny Lead Member area: Exempt: Wards affected: Jn Turner, Divisinal Directr f HRD and Shared Services Perfrmance Lead Member Cuncillr Adam Swersky Plicy Lead Member- Cuncillr Stephen Wright N Nne Enclsures: 1. Staff Survey Results 2. Management Infrmatin Screen Shts 3. Data n sickness absence distributin 4. Directrate actin plans
Sectin 1 Summary and Recmmendatins Summary This reprt sets ut the latest staff survey and sickness absence mnitring results and actin plans. Recmmendatins: The cmmittee is requested t cnsider the adequacy f the actin plans already being implemented Sectin 2 Reprt Intrductin This reprt prvides: An verview f the staff survey results, and prpsed departmental actin plans. An update n the Cuncil s sickness absence mnitring fr 2014/2015. By taking actin in respnse t the staff survey results, management will be able t respnd better t staff, create and establish a visin and act t imprve staff purpse. The management and fcus n sickness absence will imprve the cst effectiveness f staff and imprve prductivity. Staff Survey The staff survey was cnducted against a challenging backdrp which included changes t terms and cnditins in 2013/14 and a 1% reductin in pay. Lking ahead there is cntinued uncertainty fr staff arising frm planned budget reductins. 47% f staff cmpleted the survey which is a reductin n the numbers wh cmpleted the previus survey in 2011, which was 56%. The headline results f the survey shw that ur levels f engagement with staff have fallen and are nw back t 2008 levels. Overall satisfactin with wrking fr the cuncil has fallen significantly as has understanding f the strategic directin and crprate pririties. Perceptin that the cuncil is gd at managing change has als fallen. On a psitive nte senir manager visibility is high and staff feel mre empwered t make decisins and that their managers trust them in their wrk.
When the results are brken dwn it is clear that there are differences in staff views depending n the department they wrk in. Staff in Cmmunity Health and Wellbeing prvided the mst psitive results, with abve Harrw average scres acrss all indicatrs, fllwed by Resurces. Results were less psitive fr Children and Families and parts f Envirnment and Enterprise. In the Educatin and Cmmissining Department f Children and Families all but 3 f the benchmark indicatrs are belw the Harrw average and the Natinal Benchmarks. A number f staff engagement events have taken place ver the last few mnths and have prvided the pprtunity fr further feedback frm staff. A cuncil wide cmmunicatins review has been implemented and the Making a Difference Grup (a staff grup set up t take frward equalities issues, ffering a signpsting service fr advice and infrmatin) are cntributing t actins n equalities. Directrates have analysed their wn results and drawn up their actin plans with input frm staff members. Envirnment and Enterprise set up a prject team and have undertaken further analysis, and held face t face meetings and surveys with staff befre prducing their actin plan. Actin Plans There are a number f recurring themes acrss all directrates and departments. These are: Reviewing crprate cmmunicatins and cmmunicatins acrss departments. Understanding the equalities satisfactin gaps and priritising actins with the Making a Difference Grup. Transitining t the new appraisal prcess including the prvisin f develpment. Reviewing the Cuncil s Prtcl fr Managing Change, prviding training fr managers and ensuring restructures fllw the prtcl. Directrate actin plans are attached as appendix 1 t this reprt. Children and Families has yet t finalise their plan t respnd t staff feedback. It has been recmmended given results that Children and Families review the prcess cmpleted by Envirnment and Enterprise in the Envirnmental Services area and cmplete similar wrk in Early Interventin Services. Their apprach being recgnised as gd practise. Sickness Absence Results in Summary The cuncil s sickness absence recrds fr 2014/15 t the end f Quarter 2 shw an average days lst per full time equivalent (fte) emplyee (excluding schls) f 9.48 days per annum, calculated n a rlling year. The permanent and temprary fte is 1,842 emplyees (excluding schls).
61.5% f the ttal absence is lng term sickness (mre than 4 weeks) and 38.5% is shrt term sickness. Infrmatin n sickness absence perfrmance is included in the Cuncil s wrkfrce data set which is reprted t Imprvement Bards n a quarterly basis. The headline data shws the results fr each directrate fr bth shrt-term and lng term absence (mre than 4 weeks). By directrate the figures are: Resurces 7.36 days (43.9% shrt term, 56.1% lng term ) E and E- 13.23 days (32.8% shrt term, 67.2 lng term) CHWB 8.83 days (41.8% shrt term, 58.2 lng term) C and F- 8.56 days (38.1% shrt term, 61.9% lng term) Absence rates fr CHWB have risen this year and this is in part attributed t the transfer f staff frm Business Supprt Services frm Children and families t CHWB. In E&E the high levels f sickness absence are partly attributed t the physical nature f many f the jbs and wrking utside in all weathers. Lng term sickness absence in E&E is a higher percentage f absence rates than ther directrates. The directrate has carried ut mre analysis f rates and have seen sme reductin ver Q1 figures fllwing actins taken. CHWB has set an absence target f 7.5 days per FTE. Envirnment and Enterprise which has the highest absence levels has set a target f 10 days per FTE. In relatin t Lndn Cuncils, Harrw is in the furth quartile fr the average number f days lst due t sickness absence fr 2013-2014 accrding t the Human Capital Metrics Survey cnducted by Haringey Cuncil n behalf f all Lndn Cuncils. It is wrth nting that the same survey shws Harrw is in the furth quartile fr emplyees aged 50 t 64 and has the highest number f emplyees aged 65 and lder. This may cntribute t high levels f absence. When we lk at reasns fr absence Harrw s levels f sickness due t back prblems, is in the furth quartile and has risen since last year. Hwever, it shuld be nted that the Cuncil cannt verify the infrmatin submitted fr the survey by ther Cuncils. Sme further data n the distributin f sickness absence acrss the year and by grade is Appendix 2.
Actin Plan Summary HRD has reviewed and streamlined the sickness absence plicy and prcedure. These are currently being cnsulted n. The aim f the review has been t simplify the plicy and prcedure and help t imprve sickness absence management. Directrates have their wn actin plans t address identified issues and imprvement. These are set ut in summary at Appendix 3. The Cuncil s general apprach that fllws the ACAS guidance (http://www.acas.rg.uk/media/pdf/q/k/managing-attendance-and-emplyeeturnver-advisry-bklet.pdf) is t:- Prmte the health and well-being f the wrkfrce- thrugh training and events, an emplyee assistance scheme, an ccupatinal health service, wrk-life balance and flexible wrking plicies and leave prvisins that include special leave (paid and unpaid as apprpriate) that Directrs can apprve t enable staff t cpe with difficult dmestic and family matters. The staff engagement bard is planning a Health and Wellbeing day fr the new year. A sickness absence plicy and prcedure- the current plicy and prcedure is being reviewed, made simpler and mre explicit. Managers are being cnsulted n the plicy. Train managers in their respnsibilities and gd practice in relatin t sickness absence- varius frms f training are already underway and a new prgramme will be included in the further rll-ut f manager and emplyee self -service Prvide managers with reprts frm SAP t enable them t understand sickness absence in their area dwn t individual level and t check that return t wrk interviews and trigger pints are being implemented Screen shts f the kind f infrmatin available t managers are Appendix 4. In accrd with recgnised gd practice, the Cuncil uses the return t wrk interview and fllw-up actin plan as key elements alng with trigger pints t manage sickness absence. These are cmbined with detailed infrmatin fr managers n sickness absence in their service area including the standard Bradfrd Factr ratings as explained belw. The Bradfrd Factr The Bradfrd factr is a way f illustrating hw disruptive frequent shrtterm sickness absence can be. Bradfrd factrs are a way f highlighting thse individuals with serius absence and patterns f sickness absence, which give cause fr cncern. The Bradfrd factr is nt a trigger but shuld be used when identifying where t start where large numbers f emplyees hit the triggers. This infrmatin is available t Managers as part f their management infrmatin n sickness absence. The Bradfrd factr is calculated as S X S X D = Bradfrd factr.
S is the number f spells (ccasins) f sickness absence in the last 52 weeks. D is the ttal number f days sickness absence in the last 52 weeks. The trigger pints The Cuncil s sickness absence triggers are as fllws: Three separate sickness absences f any duratin in a three mnth perid, r Five separate sickness absences r a ttal f twelve days sickness absence in a twelve mnth perid, r A pattern r type f sickness absence that causes cncern e.g. regular absence, ften leaving wrk a few hurs early due t sickness, frequent medical appintment, r Single episde f fur cntinuus weeks (lng term sickness absence) Financial Implicatins The direct cst f all staff sickness absence (excluding the cst f schls sickness absence and agency cver) in 2013/14 was 2.5m. The actin plans set ut within the reprt d nt require any additinal budget funding but will require management time in directrates t supprt their effective implementatin. Envirnmental Impact There is n envirnmental impact arising frm the actin plans Risk Management Implicatins High levels f sickness absence and lw levels f staff satisfactin / engagement present risks t achieving high perfrmance and prductivity. Actin taken and planned by the Cuncil and Directrates t mitigate these risks are set ut within the reprt. Equalities implicatins Equalities are explicit in the Staff Survey. Questins in the staff survey included equalities questins. The Making a Difference Grup are making recmmendatins t feed int the actin plans. Cuncil Pririties The actin plans are designed t assist the Cuncil s management f the wrkfrce and in turn supprt the achievement f the Cuncil s pririties in relatin t imprving services t the cmmunity.
Sectin 3 - Statutry Officer Clearance Nt required fr this reprt Ward Cuncillrs ntified:. NO Sectin 4 - Cntact Details and Backgrund Papers Cntact: Jn Turner, Divisinal Directr f HRD and Shared Services 0208 424 1225 r Ext 2225 Backgrund Papers: Enclsures: 1. Staff Survey Actin Plans 2. Sickness absence distributin data 3. Directrate Actin Plans in summary 4. Management Infrmatin Screen Shts