As evidence mounts in favour of work-from-home policies, research from West Lothian Council has found it has benefits too which have unexpectedly sprung from the Covid outbreak.
Stress remains high among the factors of staff sick rates.
The council began redrawing its policies covering sickness absence late last year and had already started to implement new strategies to drive down the levels of long-term sickness among staff before the lockdown was announced in late March.
But Head of Corporate Services Julie Whitelaw told a meeting of the council’s Executive that staff absence rates had dropped since rules about working from home had been introduced.
A report to committee said: “Whilst overall absence rates have reduced since the Covid-19 pandemic, mental and behavioural absences have remained high and now account for 38.32 per cent of all absence over the period April 1 to July 31 with stress being the top reason in this category.
It added: “During the review period, those cases of absence where the source of the stress was specified,
42 per cent related to personal stress factors while 15 per cent specified work-related factors. A further four per cent specified both personal and work-related factors. The remaining thirty-nine per cent was non-specified.
“The main factors recorded as accounting for personal stress (non-work related) were bereavement and carer responsibilities. The other cases were wide ranging and included stress arising from health worries, awaiting medical test results and family, domestic issues.”
Given the number of stress related absences, the council has introduced a range of programmes including the Employee Assistance Programme a 24-hour helpline, a financialsupport service as well as help with learning and development. A chaplain is also available toprovide pastoral care.
The Executive has also backed the development of specialist training and the hiring of extra HR staff to developmental health welfare support.
