CIPD comment on plans to cut sick days in public sector

Research into the employee attitudes at work, Employee Well-being and the Psychological Contract 2004, published today shows that central government employees report lower levels of satisfaction with their work than their counterparts in the NHS and local government.

All the absence management initiatives in the world won’t be effective if central government can’t tackle the low levels of trust and satisfaction displayed by public sector employees. Our research shows that Government needs to focus on training line managers and supervisors to implement existing qualities, monitor workloads and encourage motivation within their teams.

There is a positive note in our research for Government - central government employees have shown steadily increasing levels of motivation, and are more motivated than their private sector counterparts. Central government need to work with their line managers to ensure they have the relevant training and continue to motivate staff.

Mike Emmott, CIPD Employee Relations Adviser, says, If employees don’t trust their employer, or don’t feel they are being treated fairly, this will be reflected in their lack of commitment. Effective line management is the key to controlling absence, whether in the public or private sector. A good line manager makes people want to come to work in the morning. It is this that will gain trust from employees, reduce absence and improve productivity. It makes good business sense to ensure line managers are trained to motivate, communicate and engage with employees.