Stress and anxiety remained biggest contributors to rising council sickness absence levels

Council staff in Portsmouth took almost 7,000 more sick days over 12 months, as long-term absences and mental health workforce issues persist.

The number of working days lost to sickness across Portsmouth City Council has increased as stress, anxiety and depression continues to be the leading cause.

A report presented to the council’s employment committee said the average number of working days lost to sickness per employee rose from 15.32 to 16.61 during the 12 months up to May 31, 2026.

Overall, the council lost an extra 6,935 working days to sickness compared with the previous 12-month period, excluding school and agency staff.

The increase was driven mainly by long-term sickness absence, which rose from an average of 9.91 days per employee to 11.25 days. Short-term absence fell slightly from 2.98 days to 2.93 days.

Mental health-related conditions remained the leading cause of absence. The report found 21 per cent of sick days were linked to non-work-related stress, anxiety and depression, while a further seven per cent was work-related.

In total, mental health accounted for 28 per cent of all sickness absence.

Musculo-skeletal conditions were the second most common cause of absence, followed by viruses and gastrointestinal illnesses.

The council said it has expanded support for employees and managers to help improve attendance and staff wellbeing.

A total of 127 managers have attended absence management training, while 159 have completed workplace wellbeing training. The authority has also introduced mental health first aid training, the Connect Five programme and wellbeing champions across the council.

Its employee assistance programme continues to provide counselling and support, with 310 employees accessing enhanced counselling services, 133 using a 24-hour helpline and 146 accessing online wellbeing resources.

The council also offers free flu vaccinations, while 82 per cent of the workforce is using the Vivup wellbeing platform.

Officers told councillors the authority is also supporting employees returning from long-term sickness through phased returns to work, allowing some staff to work part-time initially or reduce their hours permanently where appropriate.

Looking ahead, the council plans to strengthen its relationship with occupational health services to better support employees on long-term medically certified sickness absence.

It is also developing manager toolkits for supporting neurodiverse employees, introducing a physiotherapy pathway for musculoskeletal conditions, expanding targeted support in areas with the highest absence levels and holding a wellbeing day in November.

During the meeting, councillors asked whether investing in private medical support for staff could help reduce sickness absence. In response, officers said they would consider it where there was a clear financial benefit and were building a business case.

Councillor Charlotte Gerada asked whether more detailed information on the gender and age of employees with high levels of sickness absence could be provided.

An officer said this had not been included in the report because individuals could become identifiable but added the council “could look to do that organisationally”.

Cllr Stuart Brown welcomed the report, saying it demonstrates the council’s “commitment” to reducing the number of sicks days while encouraging a “holistic view of how we treat the wellbeing of our workforce”.