Flexible Working Works! (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

Leeds Liberal Democrats <info@leedslibdems.org.uk>

Flexible Working Works!

March 10, 2004 12:00 AM

Councillor Mark Harris, Leader of the Opposition Liberal Democrat Group on Leeds City Council, has welcomed a report to the Council's Executive Board that acknowledges reducing stress in the workplace tackles "sickness and absenteeism".

Cllr Harris said "The results of the pilot schemes in the Council show a major success in reducing levels of sickness absence, by encouraging flexible working procedures. The pilot in the Finance Division of the Council showed a '38% reduction in sickness absence levels', as well as reduction in stress at both work and home. 65% of staff said they felt more effective and productive, and an additional 5% of calls were answered by staff involved in this part of the pilot.

"These figures show that 'flexible working' can play a major role in reducing sickness and absenteeism. The great pity is that it has taken so long to get this far. Liberal Democrats on the Council have been raising the issue of the high level of staff absence across the Council's workforce for many years, but this is one of the first positive moves we have seen to tackle the issue.

"The great pity is that it has taken so long to carry out these pilots. It would have been of much greater use if it had been trialled, and then rolled out across the Council years ago. It shows we were right to say major savings and productivity improvements could be made by tackling sickness and stress levels. Let us hope that the lessons learnt are treated with urgency and that the flexible working schemes are considered across the whole of the Council, and where they can be delivered implemented at once."