73. Major Lloydasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the number of days' sick leave per annum that a civil servant may claim; what is the limit to which such annual leave may be accumulated; and what was the average number of days so claimed, per employee, in each of the chief Departments of State in 1949.
§ Mr. JayCivil servants are not entitled to so many days sick leave a year in the same sense that, subject to the exigencies of the Service, they are entitled to so many days annual leave. Generally speaking, a civil servant may not take sick leave without producing medical evidence of incapacity to work, though Departments may at their discretion allow a few odd days of sick absence (not more than seven in any 12 months) to be taken without a medical certificate.
Subject to there being a reasonable prospect of recovery, established staff may be granted six months' sick leave on full pay in any period of 12 months, followed by six months on half pay, subject to an 139W overriding limit of 12 months' sick leave in any period of four years.
Temporary staff may be allowed three months' sick leave on full pay in any period of 12 months. If they have completed at least five years' service, they may be allowed a further three months on half pay in any period of 12 months. The amount of sick leave allowable to temporary staff is also subject to a maximum of 12 months in four years.
Comprehensive information about the average number of days sick leave per employee in the major Departments of State in 1949 is not available centrally except for the Post Office. In the Post Office the average number of days of sick leave per established civil servant was 12.6 (men); 15.8 (women).