Stress, depression, and anxiety remain leading causes of sick days for council employees

Recovering from operations and musculoskeletal problems are the second and third respectively. An ageing workforce has been highlighted as a reason behind the high levels of absences for these issues.

According to the local authority’s annual health and safety report, while the percentage of stress, anxiety, and depression related absences has fallen it still accounts for over a quarter of sick days.

The percentage breakdown of sick leave data for 2024/25 is as follows:

- Stress, anxiety, depression (work and non-work related): 26%

- Post-op recovery: 15%

- Musculoskeletal problems: 11%

The sick leave data for 2023/24 is as follows:

- Stress, anxiety, depression (work and non-work related): 34%

- Post-op recovery: 14%

- Musculoskeletal problems: 13%

‘No surprise’

Stress, depression and anxiety and musculoskeletal issues accounted for 16.4m and 7.8m lost days of work in 2023/24 across the UK, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

The report states: “The council has an ageing workforce with a significant number of employees being at age 50 years old and above and as such it is no surprise that post op recovery and musculoskeletal reasons for absence remain high.”

The council’s most recent profile on its 5,129 workers, not including schools, found that 42% are aged between 51-70 years of age. In 2022, Gateshead councillors expressed their concerns about the age of employees and the struggles to recruit workers following the publication of an age profile report.

In particular, the council’s environmental, property and adult social care teams were identified as having significant numbers of employees aged 55 and older. The council had previously signed-off a work-stress risk assessment to help employees and local authority departments.

The council’s health and safety team are now joining forces with internal HR for a broader review of sickness absences.