Making cost savings and improving performance are key drivers in improving rates of absenteeism in local authorities, according to new research. A report by SOLACE Enterprises for Benenden Healthcare Society found accurate and timely data, together with more rigorous monitoring, were critical to cutting sickness rates. Line managers were seen as an essential element. The report said: ‘In some councils, interviews can be seen as a means of challenging absence, while in others they are a demonstration of a line manager's genuine concern about the wellbeing of their staff.'
