South Wales Evening Post -1 November 2005
Stressed-out Swansea council workers took the equivalent of 2,800 days off sick in August alone.
But the picture is likely to be much worse than that when those off work for only a few days are included in the equation. Figures shown to councillors illustrate the extent of the problem within the authority.
It employs around 11,000 people but stress and depression, among other issues, have taken their toll.
Officers were asked to look into the numbers and causes of sickness, with many of the cases regarded as long term. The council definition of that is being off for 20 days or more - in effect for at least a month.
And in August that category alone clocked up 2,861 days of absenteeism.
On top of that comes employees away from work for any lesser period of time. No figures were available for that category ahead of this afternoon's corporate services performance review board.
But the report - ordered by board members - indicates the level of concern among the authority's decision-makers.
Stress has been an issue in the council for some time and it remains the leading cause of long-term sickness.
The sample month of August saw it account for 17 per cent of days lost by long-term absentees - a total of 486.5 days.
Depression contributed a further 254 days - nine per cent - but that was less of a problem than backache.
Back pain meant 342.5 days were lost during the month - 12 per cent.Around 75 per cent of all days lost within the council are down to stress and back pain.
Stress was at its worst in the chief executive's department, accounting for 22 per cent of long-term sickness there.
Social services and housing came next on 19 per cent, followed by the regeneration department on 15 per cent.
Back injuries are the main cause in the environment department - 18 per cent - and account for 11 per cent in social services and housing.
"Stress is seen as one of the major factors in the increased level of absence, with around half of council employees citing it as the reason for absence," said the authority's health and safety manager John Maudsley.
