Sickening Sick Leave

Purple

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The Irish Times reports that sick leave in the Public Sector is twice as high as the Private Sector. The total cost is €430'000'000 a year. Given longer holidays, generally better conditions and shorter working hours one would think that "Sick" leave would be lower in the Public Sector.
If it was just the same as the private sector then it would save the state over €200 million a year.
 
The real worrying bit is that these figures relate to 2012 because 2013 figures aren't available and it is August 2014. Show's the complete lack of management information systems and controls in the public sector.
 
The real worrying bit is that these figures relate to 2012 because 2013 figures aren't available and it is August 2014. Show's the complete lack of management information systems and controls in the public sector.

I missed that.. wow, just wow... nearly half a billion of cost and the information is 2 years out of date.
 
Sick Leave in some of the areas of the PS that I worked in over the years are used as a target, rather than a fall back in time of genuine illness.

6 days or so sick leave uncertified + 25 days or so a/l + up to 13 days flexi (some got more via 'local' agreements') + 1/2 day shopping at xmas + 2 x Privilege days.....PLUS the certified leave (and Dr's sure are'nt shy of handing them out).
It all adds up to a short year
 
Sick Leave in some of the areas of the PS that I worked in over the years are used as a target, rather than a fall back in time of genuine illness.

6 days or so sick leave uncertified + 25 days or so a/l + up to 13 days flexi (some got more via 'local' agreements') + 1/2 day shopping at xmas + 2 x Privilege days.....PLUS the certified leave (and Dr's sure are'nt shy of handing them out).
It all adds up to a short year
A friend of mine who works in the Public Sector was told he was a trouble maker by the Union rep because he hadn't taken any sick leave in two years.
Including flexi-days he gets 54 days off a year.
 
Would a higher level of sick leave not be expected amongst the likes of Gardai, nurses, firemen and other front-line workers relative to private sector workers? €430m might be what what those on sick leave are paid but does it actually 'cost' the state that amount? In many instances do co-workers not take up the slack on a given day? I've worked in the public sector for 15 years and I'd say I've taken maybe three or four sick days in total.
 
Would a higher level of sick leave not be expected amongst the likes of Gardai, nurses, firemen and other front-line workers relative to private sector workers? €430m might be what what those on sick leave are paid but does it actually 'cost' the state that amount? In many instances do co-workers not take up the slack on a given day? I've worked in the public sector for 15 years and I'd say I've taken maybe three or four sick days in total.
Why? How many firemen get injured in the line of duty? Same with Gardia, I know some get injured but would that account for more than twice the Private Sector average?
I'm a private sector employee (both managers and "workers" work so the term "worker" is outdated and silly) in a manufacturing company where machinery is used. Our rate is less than half of the Private Sector national average or less than a quarter of the Public Sector average.
 
Why? How many firemen get injured in the line of duty? Same with Gardia, I know some get injured but would that account for more than twice the Private Sector average?
I suppose it depends on how the stats are compiled. I don't know how many firemen or Garda are injured in the line of duty but I suspect such might lead to a longer average period of sick leave . . also are the stats based on all sick days or just paid sick days? some private sector employers do not pay for sick days and most do not pay sick leave for as long as it is paid in the public sector. This may skew the figures.

Also, I wonder what the €430m figure would come down to if it were reduced by the amount those on paid sick leave would otherwise have been entitled to from the welfare system. I'm not doubting that sick leave is more prevalent in the public sector but the stats can be tuned to overstate the situation.
 
I suppose it depends on how the stats are compiled. I don't know how many firemen or Garda are injured in the line of duty but I suspect such might lead to a longer average period of sick leave . . also are the stats based on all sick days or just paid sick days? some private sector employers do not pay for sick days and most do not pay sick leave for as long as it is paid in the public sector. This may skew the figures.

Also, I wonder what the €430m figure would come down to if it were reduced by the amount those on paid sick leave would otherwise have been entitled to from the welfare system. I'm not doubting that sick leave is more prevalent in the public sector but the stats can be tuned to overstate the situation.

I agree that stat’s can be presented to show almost anything people want to show.

As the figures were presented as a percentage of days worked it looks much worse for teachers as they have a shorter working year. Secondary teachers work 33 weeks of the year in the classroom (yes, I know they correct exams and prepare coarse work during the holidays) so one missed day for them is 30% more of their working year than for people who work 48 weeks of the year.

What would be interesting is a breakdown between long term and short term leave and what the mean is for short term leave.
 
With the Indo reporting this morning that half of Private Sector employees admit to having being drunk in the workplace according to a Peninsula Ireland survey it's a wonder that anything gets done in Ireland !!!!
 
With the Indo reporting this morning that half of Private Sector employees admit to having being drunk in the workplace according to a Peninsula Ireland survey it's a wonder that anything gets done in Ireland !!!!

Not every day though!! :D
 
With the Indo reporting this morning that half of Private Sector employees admit to having being drunk in the workplace according to a Peninsula Ireland survey it's a wonder that anything gets done in Ireland !!!!

Hi Deise,

This reminds me of a day a group of us went to the pub one Friday at lunchtime and it turned into a 4 pint lunch! It was the first and only time I've drank at lunch and although it was might craic, it made for the toughest afternoon ever. Don't know how the English do it to be honest.

Firefly.
 
With the Indo reporting this morning that half of Private Sector employees admit to having being drunk in the workplace according to a Peninsula Ireland survey it's a wonder that anything gets done in Ireland !!!!

One half of the workforce is drunk whilst the other half is on the lam. It's no wonder Ireland is consistently voted as one of the best countries in the world to live in!!!!
 
Hi Deise,

This reminds me of a day a group of us went to the pub one Friday at lunchtime and it turned into a 4 pint lunch! It was the first and only time I've drank at lunch and although it was might craic, it made for the toughest afternoon ever. Don't know how the English do it to be honest.

Firefly.

Yeah it's mad isn't. Worked in London for awhile and I never understood the culture of lunchtime drinking. Biggest problem was I was already to go at 6pm on a Friday and they would all be already drunk and gone home by 7. They never understood why Irish people never joined them considering our reputation.
 
6 days or so sick leave uncertified + 25 days or so a/l + up to 13 days flexi (some got more via 'local' agreements') + 1/2 day shopping at xmas + 2 x Privilege days.....PLUS the certified leave (and Dr's sure are'nt shy of handing them out).
It all adds up to a short year

Oh Force Ma Jour day.

Heard of a case recently where a public servant was "working from home".

They see Sick leave as an entitlement.
 
Oh Force Ma Jour day.

Heard of a case recently where a public servant was "working from home".

They see Sick leave as an entitlement.

I'm aware of a few who work from home 1 or 2 days a week. I also know someone who was doing it from her home in mainland Europe.
 
I'm aware of a few who work from home 1 or 2 days a week. I also know someone who was doing it from her home in mainland Europe.

I do work for a company in the private sector where three people work from home full-time. One is based in N. America, another in eastern Europe and the latter from Asia.

For me, the attractions of working from home would be gone after a short while and I'd end up associating home with work so all-in-all I'm happy to come to the office.
 
There is no scrutiny in the public sector of sick leave thus leaving a situation where there is a load of bogus leave granted.
 
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