Union 'will monitor' police sick days scheme

UNION bosses have said they will "keep a close eye on" a new scheme aimed at reducing sick days amongst civilian staff with Lothian and Borders Police.

Civilian staff who are absent more than three times in a year are set to face a review in front of a line manager to try to find any "underlying" reasons for not reporting to work. The scheme was introduced after absence levels among police staff soared to become the highest of the eight Scottish forces.

Lucille Inglis, the Unison branch secretary who represents the civilian staff, said the union had been "fully consulted" on the scheme and agreed with the measures "on the whole". But she added: "We will be keeping a close eye to make sure that genuinely sick people are not treated harshly."

Sick days taken by police staff increased to six per cent of all working time between last April and March, a period which began with an announcement that a wave of voluntary redundancies were being sought to cut costs.