{"value":{"id":459052,"askingMemberId":4244,"askingMember":null,"house":"Commons","memberHasInterest":false,"dateTabled":"2016-03-09T00:00:00","dateForAnswer":"2016-03-14T00:00:00","uin":"30599","questionText":"To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in each of the last five years; and what proportion of total sick leave such sick leave was in each such year.","answeringBodyId":27,"answeringBodyName":"Department for Transport","isWithdrawn":false,"isNamedDay":true,"groupedQuestions":[],"answerIsHolding":false,"answerIsCorrection":false,"answeringMemberId":1562,"answeringMember":null,"correctingMemberId":null,"correctingMember":null,"dateAnswered":"2016-03-14T00:00:00","answerText":"<p>The available levels of sickness absence relating to stress is presented below for the central department and each agency for each of the last five financial years:</p><p> </p><p><strong>Department for Transport Group</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of officials taking stress leave</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>% staff taking stress leave</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Stress <br> sick days</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total <br> Sick days</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>% Stress Days of <br> Total Sick Days</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p>401</p></td><td><p>2.12%</p></td><td><p>12063.93</p></td><td><p>111402.7</p></td><td><p>10.83%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p>393</p></td><td><p>2.08%</p></td><td><p>11934.16</p></td><td><p>101778.3</p></td><td><p>11.73%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p>344</p></td><td><p>1.83%</p></td><td><p>10816.44</p></td><td><p>95113.3</p></td><td><p>11.37%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p>425</p></td><td><p>2.28%</p></td><td><p>14473.77</p></td><td><p>105805.1</p></td><td><p>13.68%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015/ Feb 2016 *</strong></p></td><td><p>410</p></td><td><p>2.70%</p></td><td><p>15118</p></td><td><p>108230</p></td><td><p>13.97%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Note to data table:</p><p> </p><p>*The current financial year uses sickness absence reported until end of February but to calculate % of total workforce uses the rolling FTE figures from December’s Cabinet Office returns. This is due to not having a quarter 4 rolling FTE or sickness absence, as the financial year has not yet finished.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Civil Service takes a holistic approach to managing sick absence and improving wellbeing. In the Department for Transport, we have focussed on specific actions to tackle the cause and to reduce the incidence of stress related absence. This includes:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Promoting the Employee Assistance Programme and other existing services to ensure staff are making the best use;</li><li>Providing line managers with guidance and training on how to recognise signs of stress and mental health;</li><li>Launching a ‘Mental Health Buddy’ network in the central Department;</li><li>Signing of a “Time to Change” Pledge which aims to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness; and</li><li>Introducing a Reasonable Adjustments Passport scheme to support colleagues with disabilities to more easily move between jobs, taking their adjustments with them.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p>","originalAnswerText":"","comparableAnswerText":"","dateAnswerCorrected":null,"dateHoldingAnswer":null,"attachmentCount":0,"heading":"Department for Transport: Sick Leave","attachments":[],"groupedQuestionsDates":[]},"links":[{"rel":"self","href":"/Questions/459052","method":"GET"}]}