Human Resources
Case Studies - Sickness Absence
These case studies show how some police forces have identified new ways of working to reduce sickness absence.
Humberside Police
In 1997 Humberside Police had sickness absence levels of 12 days per person per year. To reduce this high rate, the force introduced an attendance criteria policy that was formulated around a set numerical baseline with supporting discretions as appropriate. The overall intention of the policy was to recruit, retain, select and promote those people on whom the force felt able to depend to attend work. So, only those who 'passed' the criteria were allowed to be recruited, selected, promoted and transferred.
After 12 months, the levels of absence dropped from 12 to 9 days per person per year which equated to a reduction in ‘lost opportunity costs’ of around £750K per year. Indeed levels have dropped consistently since then to around 6 days in 2006/7.
The force’s successes have not simply arisen from the attendance criteria policy alone, but on the introduction of other initiatives from reward leave for full attendance, to a recuperative duties policy to convalescent care. In addition, the use of spend-to-save initiatives (using cost benefit analysis) has been introduced for such things as, for example, fast track referrals for consultants’ appointments, MRI scans and even minor surgery. Indeed fast tracking saved the force around £60K per year.
Support from occupational health
The services and credibility of a good occupational health unit to support the criteria was vital to sustain and improve levels of attendance. The emphasis was to prevent people going off sick in the first place and to return them to work as quickly as possible. This simple strategy designed to maximise attendance, was supported by a range of policies including:
- proactive health surveillance
- proactive health promotion, education/awareness
- health screening
- restricted duties
- recuperative duties
- convalescent care
- risk assessment based medical examinations
- speedy referral system
- identification of ‘roles and responsibilities’ of all staff in attendance management from the chief constable down
- nurse-led (as opposed to doctor-led) clinics
- effective case management of ill health cases
- synergy with HR and line managers
- spend to save initiatives - fast tracking, rehabilitation, physiotherapy
- external partner services who provide - trauma support, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, relationship counselling, drug/alcohol addiction support
Vaccinations
In 2007, with a view to making efficiency savings, the force provided an in-house HEP B vaccination service to ‘at risk’ staff. Until 2007 vaccinations had been provided free of charge by general practitioners in the Humberside area, after which this service was withdrawn. Of the few doctors who continued to provide the service, the charge was around £130 per person, per course. Using the force’s in-house seasonal doctors also entailed a similar charge.
A business case identified that to continue this method would cost the force £85K per year but to provide the service in-house using occupational health nurses (increasing resources/buying vaccines/blood testing etc) would cost only £35K per year - a saving of £50k per year.
