England’s only four-day week council only ranks 28th out of 77 participating councils when it comes to sickness absences for staff.
This is despite the Liberal Democrat-run council working a four-day week for over two years, where staff are gifted an extra day off each week for full pay in a bid to reduce sickness.
In a report considered at the council’s Employment & Staffing Committee on Thursday, councillors raised concerns over persistently high sickness absences.
Cllr Mark Howell (Conservative, Caxton & Papworth) questioned the impact of bin crews cramming bin collections into four days, with data showing 17% of all short-term absences are musculoskeletal, suggesting the four-day week is putting extra strain on their bodies.
Cllr Howell also raised concerns that 14% of short-term absences were down to stress, anxiety and depression.
“I was under the impression that with the four-day week, one of the benefits would be less stress on staff and yet we still seem to have quite a high level.
“Later on, the report shows that out of 77 councils we are 28th with regards to this.
“This just seems to bear out everything I’ve said for the last couple of years.”
Cllr Heather Williams, Leader of the Conservative Opposition at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said:
“South Cambs Lib Dems have to face the facts that there is a risk of burnout the longer the four-day week continues. We are very concerned about the health impacts the trial may be having on staff. These sorts of things should have been clearly addressed and considered in a business plan ahead of starting such a long and contentious trial. This makes the fact that there was no business plan ahead of this trial even more damning.”
