Wiltshire Council spends nearly £1.5 million on sick pay since 2020
Figures have been released in a Freedom of Information request
A Freedom of Information request has revealed the total cost of extended sick leave at Wiltshire Council since 2020 has been £1.481 million.
It also showed that the most common reasons for extended leave are related to mental health issues.
Extended sick leave refers to leave of six months or more.
Since 2020, there have been 120 extended periods of absence at Wiltshire Council taken by 116 employees.
The majority of these employees were from the adult social care department, followed by the highways and transport department.
Among the reasons for sick leave are issues such as long covid and cancer.
However, the most common reason is listed as “stress/depression/mental health/fatigue”, with 55 of the total periods of absence falling under that category.
This means that 46% of extended sick leave at Wiltshire Council since 2020 has been taken for mental health struggles.
The council’s departing CEO, Terence Herbert, recently said negative public perception was one of the most difficult aspects of working within the authority.
Back in 2016, the council’s corporate director Maggie Rae left her role after being signed off for three months with stress-related issues.
Wiltshire Council has been contacted for comment.