METRO FREE Friday, October 23, 2009 MAGEE MID SEASON SALE 25%OFFNOW ON Dundrum Town Centre Wicklow Street Arnotts, Henry Street E s t . 1 8 6 6 SICK leave in the civil service costs the state up to 128million a year, a report revealed yesterday. Public spending watchdog The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) found six out of ten civil servants were off sick during 2007. Public workers took 11 sick days a year on aver- age, nearly double the level in the private sector, which recent figures showed took six days. A similar review in 1986 found civil servants took just seven-and-a-half days sick days a year. C&AG John Buckley said the direct cost to the taxpayer was 64million, but a recent UK study suggested the real cost could be twice as much. The report found the average female state work- er was absent for 14 days, while the average male was off eight. Three-quarters of clerical officers took sick leave in 2007, with an average 16 days. Legitimate sick leave is normal in employment, but the report said managers need to intervene when it is excessive and unwarranted, stating a five per cent cut would save at least 3.2million. Labour Party social and family affairs spokes- person Rosn Shortall said the report suggested there was a culture of absenteeism in some de- partments, where the system was abused. The Department ofArts, Sports and Tourism had 42 per cent of workers sick, compared with 76.5 per cent in the State Laboratory. Employees in the Taoiseachs Department were out five-and-a-half days on average, compared with the Property Registration Authoritys 16. Blair Horan, general secretary of the Civil Pub- lic & Services Union, said higher sick leave in frontline departments indicated stress or work or- ganisation could be a factor. BY ROSS McDONAGH Sick days cost State 128m Illustrator Serge Seidlitz draws on glass at the launch of Heineken Expression. The three-part series of free events sees artists pitted against each other in a live UV art off, with top performers providing a soundtrack. The Dublin event took place last night at Tripod and travels to Karma in Galway on October 27 and Corks The Classic on November 13 Picture: Maxwells cElEbRatE colouR HELP METRO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER TODAY See Pages 14-15 PluSINSIDE toDaY 60Second Interview page 16 Dublin singer Imelda May talks to Metro Metrolife at the movies index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html