HSE staff lose jobs over sick leave

Two health service staff in the HSE West Forum region were sacked because of persistent absenteeism, a senior health official has revealed.

Regional director of operations, John Hennessy, revealed at a recent HSE West Forum meeting that two people in the region had lost their jobs as a result of the abuse of sick leave.
It has been reported that five others from Dublin and the north-east were shown the door by the HSE because of poor work-attendance records.
An analysis of new figures reveals staff in most Government departments and agencies take more sick leave than private-sector workers.
Staff in some Government offices were off for an average of more than two weeks due to illness last year. This compares with just under eight days taken by private-sector workers.
The cost of sick leave across the 35,000-strong civil-service workforce now stands at over €45 million a year.
Mr Hennessy made the disclosure after HSE West Forum chairman, Councillor Pádraig Conneely, requested an update on the work of the Task Force on Absenteeism. Councillor Conneely asked if this group had conducted a return to work discussion and reviews with those on “phone-in sick leave” and questioned what the absenteeism figure was for April in University College Hospital, Galway and Merlin Park, Galway.
Galway Roscommon Hospital Group chief executive officer, Bill Maher, confirmed return-to-work discussions are carried out following each absence due to illness. This meeting is conducted as soon as possible on the employee’s first day back to work.
“An accurate record of the discussion is held by the local manager detailing date, time and content of the discussion using specifically designed forms that are provided for in the HSE managing attendance policy.
“Individual leave cards are completed by both the employee and the line manager with the return to work date entered. The absenteeism figure for April in respect of Galway University Hospitals is 4.45%,” he said.
Councillors were also informed that 66 people had phoned in sick, 41 on a Monday and 25 on a Friday at Galway University Hospitals last April.
Councillor Conneely requested the HSE to take a more proactive role in its drive to reduce absenteeism in the region.
Expressing concern about the number of health staff phoning in sick on Monday and Friday, he cited a recent case involving a private sector worker who was out socialising at 5am and when he rang in at 8am to inform his employer he was sick, the latter allegedly told him he was fired.
Mr Hennessy pointed out the phone-in sickness for Monday should be taken in the context of an overall staff complement of 3,500 in the HSE West Forum region.