A POLICY linking a worker’s pay to their rate of attendance has led to a significant reduction in absence, and a saving of more than £1m, for a county council.

North Yorkshire County Council introduced their attendance-related pay policy two years ago and have released figures showing it has led to savings of over three quarters of a million pounds since it was implemented.

A further £400,000 has been saved by withholding pay increases from nearly 700 staff who have taken to much time off from work.

The council is now one of the top performing local authorities in relation to attendance, and is one of the first in the UK to introduce an attendance policy.

In a council with a workforce of 24,000, the policy has led to a reduction in absence by half a working day per person. On average county council staff members were absent for 7.27 days during 2008-09, compared with the average of 10.1 days per person across local government as a whole, according to figures released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. The policy linking attendance to pay was introduced after consultation with staff about pay and benefits, with most saying they wanted a link between pay and attendance to acknowledge the impact high levels of absence has on staff and services, and to recognise that the majority of staff have a good attendance record. Almost one half of staff in the county council take no sick leave at all.

County Councillor Carl Les, executive member for performance management, said: "A high level of sickness absence puts pressure on colleagues and on budgets and can lead to disrupted services to communities and customers, some of whom are vulnerable. "We believe this policy shows that North Yorkshire is committed to providing the best possible service to the county’s residents."

Where staff with a previously good level of attendance become seriously ill, the authority takes into account their record before withholding pay increases.

The council has also set up support systems to help people as soon as they become ill, for example, by offering access to physiotherapy and counselling.