§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he is taking to combat sickness absenteeism in(a) the Resettlement Agency, (b) the Benefits Agency, (c) the Contributions Agency, (d) the Child Support Agency, (e) the Information Technology Services Agency and (f) his Department.
§ Mr. HagueA number of steps are being taken across the Department to manage sickness absence. Specific initiatives include: the internal publication of absence details, awareness presentations for line managers and staff, guidance on the responsibilities of line managers, tightening up the procedures for first reporting absence, return to work interviews, involving personnel branches in appropriate cases and seeking examples of best practice from other organisations. There are also various health promotion initiatives.