STAFF absence figures have increased at Dorset County Council – some because of winter coughs, colds and flu.

Latest figures show an increase for 7.7 sickness days on average, per year, to 8.3 days – although the December figure is lower than the 9.5 days recorded in December the previous year.

Despite this the September to December increase of 0.6 days in the quarter is the largest quarterly increase for two years.

Anxiety, depression and stress and other mental health between them continue to account for over a quarter of all working days lost at the authority, although the majority of issues are said to relate to home, rather than work-related issues.

The cost of absences in the September to December period is put at £670.393, compared to £551,245 in the previous quarter while 7,377 working days were lost over the period, compared to 6,266 the previous quarter.

In a report to the county council staffing committee on January 28, service director for organisational development Grace Evans says: “Although the quarterly rise in sickness absence is disappointing, absence continues to be well managed and below local authority average rates. As we move towards the creation of the unitary councils, many employees are combining their substantive duties with additional activities related to the new council. Employees continue to access Health and Wellbeing services which are designed to increase resilience and health during a time of transition and change.”