STAFF working from home on a ‘much more frequent basis’ is very much the pattern for the future, said the chief executive of Craven District Council.

Paul Shevlin was responding to figures that showed the number of days lost to staff absences due to sickness in the six months to September last year had dropped by more than 50 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.

The council’s select committee was told that the number of days lost per full time equivalent member of staff was 2.7 days - a 52 per cent decrease in the same period in the year before.

Total sickness absence at the council has been on the up year on year until the coronavirus pandemic, councillors were told by human resources manager Jacquie Hodgson.Short term absence has dropped by 45 per cent, and long term absence, which in 2019 was at its highest, at just more than 854 days , has dropped to 394 days in the six months to September.

The meeting heard that seven employees had been on long term absence - of more than four weeks - 10 fewer than the year before, including two who had been absent for the whole of the six month period. They included three from the same department who were absent because of non work related stress, such as a death in the family, said Ms Hodgson.

Short term absences accounted for 163 days, compared to 300 in the previous year. Staff returning to work had also had been helped with the introduction of a new counselling service if wanted.

Ms Hodgson said the coronavirus pandemic had made a noticeable difference and that because of the way the council had handled working during the pandemic, she felt people were genuinely happier.

The council had had 18 suspected cases of Covid-19, of which seven had tested positive, she added.

The meeting heard that the council had worked hard to accommodate the wishes of staff and that it had paid off. Employees could work at the offices in Belle Vue Square if they wished, there was plenty of space and a rota system had been put in place to ensure everything was Covid secure. Staff were tested for Covid by temperature monitoring and lateral flow tests.

Those working at home could adjust the hours when they worked, with the agreement of their line manager, to fit around home schooling or the caring for an elderly parent or young child. Business support and the IT department was there to help out with printing and computer problems, or simply arranging for an office chair to be delivered to the home of a member of staff who had been suffering with back problems.

The general feeling was that staff seemed to be happier, said Ms Hodgson.“We don’t get any calls from people saying they are unhappy working from home. They seem to be very happy with it," she said.

Mr Shevlin said there had been regular online meetings, a virtual presentation at Christmas and a even a curry making virtual get together. It was important he said for staff to still feel ‘part of Craven’.

“Some staff want to call in every now and then. They work with their line manager to arrange which day is appropriate. We don’t want an overflow of staff at Belle Vue Square, we have made that clear,” he said.

He said 10 per cent of staff were coming in to the office. The council had worked with its employees on their preferences and it had worked.

“I think a lot more staff will be working from home on a much more frequent basis, that is the pattern for the future.”

Councillor Andy Solloway wondered if it had anything to do with office politics. “Some people are not comfortable in an office environment and would rather be working from home,” he said.

Even absences in waste management was down. Perhaps that was down to the public thanking them more, he added.