Havering Council Staff Sickness Deemed ‘Unsustainable’ Amid Rising Costs and Financial Strain

The opposition party has characterized the staff sickness rates at Havering Council as unsustainable. A report indicates that these absences have incurred a cost of £5 million for the council year-to-date, an increase from £2.9 million in the 2022-23 period. Furthermore, the report noted that over 50% of employees reported sick last year, with 27% of these instances attributed to mental health issues such as stress or anxiety. Conservative councillor Jason Frost stated, “This is just not sustainable. Neither from a service delivery perspective, nor from a financial one.” The council attributed staff sickness to heightened pressures on its services and decreased funding. Councillor Frost, who serves as the opposition’s health spokesperson, additionally voiced apprehension regarding the significant proportion of absences primarily caused by stress, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. He further commented, “Council staff are the lifeblood of the organisation. Without them, the many vital services that residents rely on simply will not function.” The Havering Residents Association, a minority administration, currently leads the council. The local authority also stated, “The wellbeing of our staff is paramount, however due to increased pressures on our services and reduced funding, this can lead to staff suffering the effects of juggling their demanding workloads, resulting in sickness.” According to the report, Havering Council experiences an average loss of approximately 10 days per employee due to sickness, positioning it as the seventh highest rate across London. Hackney records the highest rate with an average of 11 days off, whereas Bexley has the lowest at six days. The report additionally revealed that the expense associated with sickness had risen from £2.9 million in 2022-23. This situation arises as the town hall endeavors to address a £32.5 million deficit. In February, the council secured £54 million from the government, which effectively prevented its bankruptcy. To balance its finances, the council approved £15 million in budget reductions and implemented the maximum permissible council tax increase of 4.99%. Councillors are also concerned by the low number of sick employees being directed to external healthcare providers. The current referral rates are the lowest in London, with only 83 referrals, in contrast to Barking and Dagenham, which recorded 495. A spokesperson for Havering Council stated, “We are doing all we can to ensure that they [staff] are well looked after and feel supported, in order to reduce sickness.” The spokesperson added, “We have programmes in place, such as wellbeing initiatives, staff networks and occupational health and employee assistance programmes, which we actively encourage staff to take advantage of.”