'Sicknote' culture costs taxpayers £3.8bn a year

Ministers were today urged to end the "sicknote" culture among public sector workers after new figures showed that absenteeism is costing the taxpayer a record £3.8 billion a year.

Teachers, health staff and civil servants take an average of 9.8 days off a year, much higher than the private sector. With rising wages and 5.7 million people now on the public payroll, the bill for absent workers is higher than ever.

The survey from the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development showed that managers estimated about 12 per cent of public sector absence was "non-genuine". An estimated £456,000 a year is wasted on paying wages for those pretending to be ill.

London staff take the least time off in both public and private sectors, with an average of 7.8 days absent. Workers in the North-East have the highest levels of absenteeism, at 11.3 days a year.

In the public sector, "stress" is listed as the main cause for workers taking time off. Increased workload, and "pressure to meet targets" were listed as the top factors for those suffering from stress.

Shadow minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said: "Poor management must be to blame for the worrying levels of absenteeism. More needs to be done to address these problems, not only to ensure that taxpayers' money is properly spent, but also to promote the wellbeing and job satisfaction of public workers."