THE ‘direct cost’ of staff absences at South Ayrshire Council was more than £7 million in 2023/24, but the true cost is unknown, the council's HR chief has admitted.

That is despite an overall fall in the proportion of absences per member of staff and the council having the lowest rates of absence among comparative authorities, including both its Ayrshire neighbours.

There was a 16 per cent rise in the direct cost of absence among teaching staff, increasing from £1.572m in 2022/23 to £1.838m in 2023/24.

The increase in non-teaching staff cost was less pronounced, with a nine per cent increase from £4.738m in 2022/23 to £5.21m in 2023/24.

The ‘direct cost’ is calculated as the wages paid to staff when they are absent through sickness.

The average number of days lost per employee dropped by 9.01 days, or five per cent between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

The main reasons for absence were psychological, musculoskeletal and hospitalisation, which replaced respiratory issues as the third-most common reason. Around three-quarters of absences are categorised as long term.

Alba councillor Chris Cullen asked the council's chief human resources officer Wendy Wesson for more information on the cost and budget implications.

She explained that the amount referred to in the report was not an additional cost and that they did not calculate any other absence costs as each service deals with it in a different way.

She said: “We don’t record the hidden costs of absence because we don’t have that facility to record and report that.

“There are a number of ways services cover absence. Some don’t cover absence, and it’s existing staff that pick up on activities of work.

“Particularly within education, health and social care partnership, anything that’s front line, you need to backfill.

“And that’s an additional on cost. Some could be filled with overtime, or supply staff. We have seen a rise in the use of supply staff, particularly within education.

“I think the cost of absence has risen across both staff groups this year. And again, that’s largely to do with the pay award as well.

“We have been asked before about the additional cost of absence that we are unable to report on. But, as I say, we couldn’t begin to quantify that because of the different ways services cover absence, I’m afraid.”

Ms Wesson told the services and performance panel that the upcoming launch of the employee assistance programme, as well as the ongoing work to develop the mental health first aid network, would provide support to staff.

Conservative councillor Gavin Scott highlighted the prevalence of psychological illness and asked Ms Wesson to provide more information.

She said: “The maximising attendance framework has been in since May 2014, and we are currently reviewing the policy to frame it around supporting wellbeing at work policy, with a focus on supporting our employees, particularly in relation to psychological reasons for absence.

“We have a mental health first aider network now to support employees, particularly with psychological reasons for absence, we also have access to work.

“I’m really excited about introducing the employee assistance program, because it will give our employees access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to support for a range of activities, not just psychological.

“It will also include counselling support, and that will be separate to our occupational health provision.”