Public sector staff sickness rates in the island have rocketed, with the cost of days lost equating to £9.5 million last year.

The shock figures - which also reveal that stress is the biggest cause of staff absences at 20% - are contained within a report by the Office of Human Resources (OHR).

The report speculates increased workloads and changes to management systems may have contributed to that stress, but also acknowledges that a change in reporting absences may have contributed to the higher rate. That report is contained within another report, from the Public Services Commission, which was laid before Tynwald this week.

The OHR Management Information Report, which covers 7,411 public sector workers, says of staff absences: ’The Isle of Man Government figure for 2016-17 is 11.76 days lost per full time equivalent, an increase of two days (21%) compared with the previous year with over 20% of all absence being due to stress (both personal and work related).’

It adds: ’The precise causes of this increase are not fully known, but increased workloads and change management may be additional factors.

’However, it is partially explained by the reporting system which means there is a time lag between absences ending and being closed on the system.

’This means that the absence rates in the last three months of 2016-17 are reported as higher than they actually were.’

The introduction of a new HR and payroll system next April should address this, says the report.

In the UK, the last annual survey found the average level of public sector absence had decreased slightly in 2016, to 8.5 days per employee, more than two days below the Isle of Man figure.

The OHR report actually covers a larger workforce than is covered by the Public Services Commission report, but the 7,411 figure still excludes bank, supply, relief and casual posts.

In its section on managing sickness absence, it compares the 12 months up to March 31, 2017, with the previous year. It finds:

â?¢ The number of days lost per employee was 11.76 compared with 9.71, an increase of 21%;

â?¢ The number of days lost per employee per month averaged 0.98 days compared with 0.81 days per month;

â?¢ 37.9% of the workforce had no sickness absence during the 12 months to March 31. 2017;

â?¢ 95.2% of the time lost could be attributed to 37.8% of the workforce;

â?¢ 34.7% of time lost could be attributed to 2.8% of the workforce.

It adds that the top reasons for absence were stress - both work and personal - at 20.3%; musculoskeletal at 16.8%, and operations/hospitalisation at 10.5%.

The total number of days lost to absence in 2016-17 was 80,328.1, with a ’notional cost’ of £9,526,040.

The Department of Health and Social Care suffered the worst staff absence rate, at an average of 15.3 days per full-time equivalent. The next highest was the Department of Infrastructure, at 13.3.

The OHR says it ’continues to deliver targeted intervention within departments, such as Wellbeing initiatives’.

The main Public Services Commission report acknowledges the problem with staff sickness.

In his foreword, chairman Chris Thomas, the Policy and Reform Minister, says: ’It is of concern that sickness levels have risen in the past 12 months. OHR is working closely with managers and staff to address wellbeing issues, supported by a range of initiatives and interventions and these have been positively received.’

The PSC covers a smaller group of public sector workers, Mr Thomas explains.

It is ’the body responsible for employing nearly 4,000 civil servants and manual and craft workers, replacing the Civil Service Commission and Whitley Council’.

PSC secretary Jon Callister says: ’The next 12 months will be particularly challenging for the PSC and the unions it works with.

’We have many initiatives ongoing and, as well as day to day support to departments, boards and offices, OHR will be working with the reviewers to provide data and information to support the independent structural review of the civil service, which was recently agreed in Tynwald.’