A SCHEME to reward council workers with extra holiday for not taking a sick day has helped save more than £30,000.

Richmondshire District Council started offering a day off to staff who did not take any sick leave last September.

A year later, 129 employees are looking forward to an additional day's holiday after not once phoning in ill.

The scheme was the idea of head of personnel Pauline Ohr, who said: "We though this would be a way of encouraging people not to take a day off for the Monday morning blues or having a "duvet day", as we call them.

"People got quite competitive towards the end of the year and were determined not to be ill and lose their day's leave."

Councillor Wendy Morton, chair of the council's resources committee, said: "It's very encouraging.

"There's always scope for improvement but I think the scheme is having an impact in the council.

"If the downward trend continues, it means we are bucking the national trend, which is for sickness rates to rise."

On average, Richmondshire council workers took 8.1 days off sick in 2003/04, compared to 10.24 days in 2002/03.

This means the council saved £40,369 in the past financial year, compared to the previous 12 months.

Deducting the £7,158 cost of giving the extra days' holiday means the net saving was £33,211.

Coun Morton said she was pleased the council had managed to make savings without resorting to the measures taken by other authorities in North Yorkshire.

Last month, York Council announced plans to make workers in the adult services department contact private healthcare group Active Health when sick.

An occupational health nurse will then advise on their treatment and check on their progress in an effort to cutdown on sickness absence and save money.

The 1,000-strong department loses 28 days per full-time staff member each year, which equals a cost of £2.3m, which is more than double the overall council average of 12.2 days.

Members of Richmondshire council will be asked to decide at a meeting on Tuesday if the authority's sickness reward scheme should be continued for another year