Agenda item

To receive a report detailing workforce analytics for the period April to September 2023.

Kirsty Butcher, Workforce Insight Analyst, alongside Tamsin Kielb, Director HR & OD, updated the Committee on the current workforce analytics position.

It was confirmed that the report concentrated on Q1 and Q2 for the 2023-24 financial year, with the latter sections focussing on long term trends.

During the discussion, points included:

Sickness Absence

·       With regard to stress related absences, Members queried if there was a breakdown available to show the split between those that were work or non-work related. Officers explained that it was difficult to retrieve such data at present, however as Oracle continued to be embedded within the organisation, it may be something that could be looked at in the future. Furthermore, it was emphasised that people experiencing stress was not just a local issue, but a national and even global challenge with the trend continuing to rise.

·       It was noted that the 12 months to September 2023 reported an average of 9.5 days sickness absence per employee which was above the national average of 5 days. Officers highlighted that within the Council there were pockets of stress related absences, and that the data could be skewed by a smaller number of employees with longer term absences. As such, it was difficult to accurately determine the number of employees absent as a percentage of the total workforce, but as their reporting evolved, officers revisit this. 

·       It was explained that due to a recent corporate restructure, the Occupational Health department now fell under the remit of Tamsin Kielb, who reassured Members that understanding how to better support employees experiencing stress related absences was a priority. Furthermore, officers were focussing on achieving a holistic view of the area in general to discern how to best address the issue of resilience within the workforce proactively rather than undertaking a reactive approach. As such, officers were intending on organising a project team to look at this and would include areas such as supporting managers in identifying patterns in individuals, relapse plans, and relevant policies.

Employee Turnover

·       Members were pleased to read that Wiltshire Council were seeing an increase of approximately 2 applicants per job advertisement between January to March 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

·       Members also commended the introduction of the ‘Leaver Journey’ within Oracle from April 2024, which would trigger automatic invitations for exit interviews. This would hopefully increase the number of exit interviews completed and would enable better analysis of reasons for leaving which would then feed into action plans.

Finance and Salary Costs

·       Agency costs were raised, and officers queried where the other pinch points were apart from the social care directorates. Officers stated that they would provide the information to Members outside of the meeting, however they provided reassurance that the area continued to be scrutinised within the services. Despite this, it was highlighted that the increase in costs was not unexpected when considering the challenging job market, particularly in social care. Furthermore, it was emphasised that the Council were in a good position in comparison to historic costs and other neighbouring Local Authorities.

·       Members requested that information in relation to apprenticeships and training be included within future reports. Officers noted that there was a good uptake in apprenticeships. It was further noted that officers would focus on attracting and retaining under 25-year-olds to support the longevity of the workforce. 

Advisory Cases

·       Members requested further breakdowns of the data to assess the number of cases closed and the total length of time taken for completion in order to undertake comparisons between the targets stipulated within any relevant policies. Officers highlighted that the completion time was dependent on managerial capacity to hear cases as well as individual case complexities, however there was a focus on bringing case numbers, and time taken, down.

·       Members queried if there was a correlation between advisory cases and long-term sickness and absence and if tightening procedures could better support both employees and managers within the process. The intended sickness absence review was reiterated, and Members were reassured that this area would be considered within that.

Members commended officers for their hard work and expressed anticipation for further updates.

Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee noted the update.