Tayside Fire and Rescue has recorded an increase in its 12-month absenteeism rate.
Latest figures obtained through Audit Scotland reveal 2624 days were written off by the emergency service due to illness and “modified duties” during 2009-10 a 21% increase on the previous year.
Out of the seven other fire and rescue services covering the country Tayside had the second-highest percentage increase after Dumfries and Galloway.
Tayside Fire and Rescue group manager Rab Middlemiss said, “Sickness absence is managed through our attendance management policy and procedure.
“Support mechanisms are put in place to facilitate an early return to work either on full duties or on modified duties. The introduction of the Fit Note has been of benefit to this process.”
Grampian Fire and Rescue experienced a 22.7% decrease in the number of days lost to absences. Mr Middlemiss was unable to say why there was such a difference.
Ronnie Costello of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said he is concerned by the numbers of days the service is losing but believes the figure will drop over 2011.
“I know that sickness rates for this year are already low because of the sick note that doctors now hand out,” he said. “It means those who would normally be signed off for a given period are now asked what other tasks they can do in their place of work.”
The number of lost days in Fife fell by 10.6% and in the Highlands and Islands they fell by 14.8%. The only other fire services recording a rise were Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders, with 1.2% and 1.6% respectively.
Despite the increase among Tayside fire officers, the total number of days lost over the same period for all other staff directly employed by the brigade actually fell from 1036 to 766 a drop of 26.1%.