CRACKING down on its employees' sickness levels could save Redcar and Cleveland council £1.2m a year.

The above-average number of people taking time off between October and December last year cost the council nearly £680,000.

Social services topped the council's sickness league with an absence rate of 8.47 per cent, while education came last with a rate of 3.81pc.

The council has set a target of 8.1 days lost per full-time employee by 2004/5. Its sickness absence rate from October to December 2000 was 11.92 days.

Councillors are demanding that methods of dealing with sickness absence are strictly adhered to. If matters don't improve, the methods themselves will be scrutinised.

Line managers who seem to be failing to follow procedures could face disciplinary action.

A report to the council executive said: "The management of sickness absence is not an issue that managers can ever put on the back burner.

"Managers must recognise that there is a long way to go and a lot of hard work to be done if the council is to reduce sickness absence."

The district auditor has told the council that if levels remain high, it will need to ensure that services don't fail.