Authority extends 'sickies' pilot

Sickness within adult services costs the council £2.3m a year.

A pilot scheme aimed at reducing the level of sick leave at City of York Council is to be extended for a further three months.

Since its launch in September, employees from Adult Services have had to telephone a healthcare organisation if they want to call in sick.

A nurse gives advice and reports the illness to the worker's line manager.

The council says initial figures show a drop in the number of days taken off sick.

The authority claims that before the pilot staff in the department were taking an average of 28 sick days off each a year, which is double the number in any other department.

The scheme will now be extended across other departments at the council.