Provincial auditor finds Saskatchewan agencies grappling with sick days
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Saskatchewan employers, in the province’s health-care and gaming sectors, need to address their workers’ habitual absences because they translate to increased costs, including paid salaries to staff who are not there and to replacement personnel.
Provincial auditor Judy Ferguson highlighted employee absenteeism at the Heartland Regional Health Authority and Saskatchewan Gaming Corp. in her annual report released Tuesday. She said she zeroed in on both because Statistics Canada suggests workers in health and social assistance have the highest rate of absenteeism.
According to the provincial auditor’s report, released this week, reduced profits affect support to indigenous and other communities.
Ferguson recommended that the agencies find out the reasons for the numerous absences and analyse trends and behaviours connected to absenteeism.
“It's a concern from two aspects: One is when you have too much absenteeism, it affects your workplace environment,'' Ferguson told The Canadian Press. “Secondly, it results in additional costs being incurred.''
The HRHA has over 1,100 full-time positions, costing the Health Authority $84 million annually. Of this number, more than 80 employees had lengthy absences this year.
On average, HRHA staff take about 10.5 days per year in sick days.
Meanwhile, SaskGaming, which operates Casino Regina and Moose Jaw, employs more than 800 people, costing the government $37 million a year.
Here, staff were absent 8.3% of the time due to unscheduled leaves, both paid and unpaid.
Plans to reduce employee absences have not taken off.
Related stories:
Does sick pay encourage workers to play ill?
Absence management in a cognitive economy
Provincial auditor Judy Ferguson highlighted employee absenteeism at the Heartland Regional Health Authority and Saskatchewan Gaming Corp. in her annual report released Tuesday. She said she zeroed in on both because Statistics Canada suggests workers in health and social assistance have the highest rate of absenteeism.
According to the provincial auditor’s report, released this week, reduced profits affect support to indigenous and other communities.
Ferguson recommended that the agencies find out the reasons for the numerous absences and analyse trends and behaviours connected to absenteeism.
“It's a concern from two aspects: One is when you have too much absenteeism, it affects your workplace environment,'' Ferguson told The Canadian Press. “Secondly, it results in additional costs being incurred.''
The HRHA has over 1,100 full-time positions, costing the Health Authority $84 million annually. Of this number, more than 80 employees had lengthy absences this year.
On average, HRHA staff take about 10.5 days per year in sick days.
Meanwhile, SaskGaming, which operates Casino Regina and Moose Jaw, employs more than 800 people, costing the government $37 million a year.
Here, staff were absent 8.3% of the time due to unscheduled leaves, both paid and unpaid.
Plans to reduce employee absences have not taken off.
Related stories:
Does sick pay encourage workers to play ill?
Absence management in a cognitive economy