Almost 80  staff at a city council have been sacked for calling in sick too frequently as the average time taken off by employees rose to two week. Cardiff  Council sacked 77 of its employees because of their high rates of sickness absence in the last 12 months. The sickest staff work in the health and environment departments, who are predicted to take off 17 days sick - more than three weeks - by the end of the financial year. Staff at Cardiff County Council were sacked because of the high levels of sickness, averaging 10 days a year . Councillors have branded the levels of sickness absence 'frightening.' On average staff at the council, the largest in Wales, are forecast to take 10.16 days off by the end of the financial year. This is more than double the average 4.4 days lost to sickness in Britain last year, and is higher than when sickness levels peaked in the UK at 7.2 days in 1993, according to the Office for National Statistics. It also exceeds the council's own current target of nine days. Around 11,000 staff work at the council and between April and June this year an average of 4.71 days per person were taken off sick. This equates to 53,000 lost working days over a three month period. Staff in the children's department phoned in ill for seven days during this period and are forecast to take 15.4 days off sick by April next year. Workers in the sport department are expected to be away from work because of illness for 13.6 days by the end of the financial year. Councillor Judith Woodman, leader of the council's Liberal Democrat group, described the statistics as 'quite frightening'. The council sacked 77 employees over their sickness absence between June 2013 and July this year, an increase of 40 per cent on the year before. A performance report by the authority's chief executive said sickness absence had increased in the few months up to July this year. This has forced the county council to raise its prediction to 10.16 days off sick, per employee, for the current year. This increase has taken place despite a policy introduced by the council last year to reduce sickness levels, which peaked at 25 days in the environment department in 2011/12. Paul Orders, chief executive of the council, said: 'The rate of improvement is insufficient and has highlighted a degree of non compliance with the corporate policy in regard to return-to-work interviews and trigger stage interviews.' Staff at Cardiff council have been sacked for taking too many sick days, as some are expected to take 17 . Mr Orders said the figures will be addressed with individual directors of each department. However overall sickness absence has decreased at the council. The average full-time council worker called in sick 11.73 times between July 2012 and June 2013. This fell to 9.98 days between July 2013 and June 2014, representing 13,000 fewer days lost.
Cardiff Council sacked 77 people for calling in sick on too many occasions .
Workers went sick for an average of 10 days, compared to 4.4 nationally .
Health and social care department expected to take 17 days off sick .
Councillors branded statistics 'frightening' and said improvement needed .
Almost 80  staff at a city council have been sacked for calling in sick too frequently as the average time taken off by employees rose to two week. Cardiff  Council sacked 77 of its employees because of their high rates of sickness absence in the last 12 months. The sickest staff work in the health and environment departments, who are predicted to take off 17 days sick - more than three weeks - by the end of the financial year. Staff at Cardiff County Council were sacked because of the high levels of sickness, averaging 10 days a year . Councillors have branded the levels of sickness absence 'frightening.' On average staff at the council, the largest in Wales, are forecast to take 10.16 days off by the end of the financial year. This is more than double the average 4.4 days lost to sickness in Britain last year, and is higher than when sickness levels peaked in the UK at 7.2 days in 1993, according to the Office for National Statistics. It also exceeds the council's own current target of nine days. Around 11,000 staff work at the council and between April and June this year an average of 4.71 days per person were taken off sick. This equates to 53,000 lost working days over a three month period. Staff in the children's department phoned in ill for seven days during this period and are forecast to take 15.4 days off sick by April next year. Workers in the sport department are expected to be away from work because of illness for 13.6 days by the end of the financial year. Councillor Judith Woodman, leader of the council's Liberal Democrat group, described the statistics as 'quite frightening'. The council sacked 77 employees over their sickness absence between June 2013 and July this year, an increase of 40 per cent on the year before. A performance report by the authority's chief executive said sickness absence had increased in the few months up to July this year. This has forced the county council to raise its prediction to 10.16 days off sick, per employee, for the current year. This increase has taken place despite a policy introduced by the council last year to reduce sickness levels, which peaked at 25 days in the environment department in 2011/12. Paul Orders, chief executive of the council, said: 'The rate of improvement is insufficient and has highlighted a degree of non compliance with the corporate policy in regard to return-to-work interviews and trigger stage interviews.' Staff at Cardiff council have been sacked for taking too many sick days, as some are expected to take 17 . Mr Orders said the figures will be addressed with individual directors of each department. However overall sickness absence has decreased at the council. The average full-time council worker called in sick 11.73 times between July 2012 and June 2013. This fell to 9.98 days between July 2013 and June 2014, representing 13,000 fewer days lost.
sacked for calling in sick too frequently as the week. Cardiff  Council sacked 77 of its employees 10 days a year . Councillors have branded the this year an average of 4.71 days per person were 15.4 days off sick by April next year. Workers in described the statistics as 'quite frightening'. expected to take 17 . Mr Orders said the figures