More than 100,000 work days lost through sickness absence at Swansea Council last year

More than 100,000 work days lost through sickness absence at Swansea Council last year

Mental health issues such as stress, an ageing workforce, and increased reporting of sickness absence were said to be the main reasons

Mental health crisis and ageing workforce drive record staff absences at Swansea Council

Sickness absence among Swansea Council staff, including those in schools, increased from an average of 10.7 days per full-time employee to 12.3 days last year. This rise occurred across all departments except education, where absence fell slightly due to reclassifying some school-based staff as corporate staff. With 9,009 full-time equivalent employees, the council lost a total of 110,810 workdays—equivalent to 303 years—during 2024-25. The coun…