Agenda item

Considered – A presentation on Hybrid Working and Sickness Absence provided by the Assistant Chief Executive (HR & Business Support)

Trudy Forster, the Assistant Chief Executive (HR & Business Support),  provided a detailed overview of two issues drawn from the Committee’s annual Workforce Update delivered at its meeting in June 2025.

In regard to sickness absence, Members noted the data provided on the number of days lost per quarter, per FTE by Directorate in 2024/25.    They also noted the data for the first two quarters in 2025/26 (shown on slide 16), which showed the numbers for every directorate were increasing.

In response to members questions, Trudy Forster confirmed:

·          All absentees are required to undertake a return-to-work interview with their line manager or team leader on their return.

·          The annual cost to the Council as a result of sickness absence was around £8m

·          Sickness levels were higher than pre-covid but lower than the previous year – Members requested a table of year on year data in order to be able to understand the direction of travel.

·          There was no national collection of workforce data making it difficult to benchmark the authority against other similar authorities.

·          New employees were expected to spend the most of their time in the office during the first 3 months to allow for a proper induction

·          Multi-generational workforces required a range of ways of working to suit a range of age groups

Members discussed the benefits to new and younger members of staff of working in the office alongside older more experienced members of their team, which would only be possible if both parties were in the office. In response, Trudy Forster confirmed the Policy was designed to deliver what works well for both employees, their teams and the organisation as a whole.

Noting the average age of the workforce was 46, Members also queried the age profile of sickness absentees, querying whether age was a factor for some of the reasons for sickness absence.  Trudy Forster agreed to look at that and include a breakdown based on age in her next workforce annual update.

Noting the number of sickness absences as a result of physical injury, Members queried the mitigation training provided, and it was confirmed that staff training was provided on safe working environments and manual lifting etc.  Members requested that information on mitigation training and its uptake be included in future annual workforce updates.

In regard to hybrid working, members noted the information provided on the Council’s Hybrid Working Policy, its application, which teams have the ability to work in that way and the ways it was managed.  It was confirmed that the ability to work from a number of council sites was also classed as hybrid working and that NYC employment contracts did not state the number of days an employee could work from home per week.

It was noted that operationally, information on how many people were working from home and what they were doing, was overseen by Team Leaders and Service Managers, and that decisions on the application of the council’s policy on Hybrid Working were based on the needs of each service area.

The Chair thanked the officer for the presentation, and it was

Resolved – That:

i.              The update on hybrid working and sickness absence be noted.

ii.             A table of year on year sickness levels be circulated to committee members

iii.            Information be included in future annual workforce updates on:

o   Staff training aimed at mitigating sickness absence.

o   The age profile for absentees, based on reasons for sickness absence