The Galway and Roscommon University Hospital Group is taking a multi-faceted approach to tackling absenteeism with a focus on maximising attendance, providing supportive structures for staff who, either as a result of the working environment or in the course of natural life events, become ill, and by addressing any inappropriate use of sick leave schemes.
John Shaughnessy, group director for human resources said: “Across the group we are making progress with absenteeism and since January this year the rate has dropped from 5.16 per cent to 4.5 per cent in June – effectively a 12.8 per cent drop in six months. These figures demonstrate a significant decrease in the absenteeism rate and we are moving closer to the national target of 3.5 per cent.
“Absenteeism, for whatever reason, reduces our capacity to deliver services and has a significant impact on costs and on staff morale. The financial costs of absence include salary costs, replacement costs (which are only incurred when absolutely essential ) and administration costs. The hospital group continues to focus on reducing costs while protecting services and improving our absenteeism will remain a high priority.
“We place a huge emphasis on the Return to Work discussion following each absence, we monitor frequent short-term illnesses and have review meetings between staff members and their line managers. This is followed, where absenteeism is ongoing, by Return to Work Reviews, and may ultimately lead to the suspension of sick pay or disciplinary procedures being invoked.
“The data for 2011 and 2012 illustrates the progress being made at Galway University Hospitals where there was a reduction of 42 per cent in absenteeism between January 2011 and April 2012. The 2011 average absenteeism for GUH was 5.2 per cent and the average for 2012 to July is 4.66 per cent. The trend analysis for GUH in 2012 is also encouraging with consecutive decreases for the first three months (average 4.88 per cent ) and a levelling out for the second three months (average 4.44 per cent ).”
