To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning for his assessment of his Department’s treatment of staff under the Inefficiency Sick Absence policy.

Managing sickness absence within the Northern Ireland Civil Service is a particularly challenging task and unfortunately there is no easy solution to what has become a persistent problem. In recent years, significant resources have been dedicated to reducing sickness absence levels and ensuring employees and managers are aware of and fulfil their roles and responsibilities however absence levels remain stubbornly high.

My Department implements the comprehensive range of NICS policies and procedures which are designed to address sickness absence and which are carefully balanced to ensure that employees are supported to maintain their health and wellbeing and remain in work or, where absence has occurred, to return to the workplace at the earliest possible opportunity. Unfortunately, circumstances can arise where neither of these options applies and in such cases early exit is appropriate.

The NICS Inefficiency Sickness Absence policy allows for inefficiency action, ranging from written warning to dismissal, to be taken where absence levels are unsatisfactory however mechanisms are in place for employees to challenge such decisions. I receive regular updates from my senior officials on sickness absence inefficiency activity and all such matters are also subject to regular internal and external scrutiny.

I am satisfied that my Department applies the NICS policy in a consistent, robust and entirely proportionate manner which takes account of the circumstances of each individual case. I am also satisfied that the appropriate strategies, governance, reporting and monitoring arrangements are in place to support this approach.