Sickness In Defence Forces

[Kieran Marum]

DAIL DEBATES 26/10/2006

Question 174

Mr Costello Asked
The number of personnel in the Army, Navy and Air Corps, quantity of sick leave experienced over last twelve months

ANSWER

YEAR TO 30/09/2006
ARMY
Strength 8623
Excused Duty 17992 days
Sick Leave 83786 days
Uncertfified Sick leave 13659 days

Total 115, 437 days


AIR CORPS
Strength 829
Excused Duty 1571 days
Sick Leave 17317 days
Uncertfified Sick leave 2067 days

Total 20,955 days


NAVY
Strength 1066
Excused Duty 1868 days
Sick Leave 9490 days
Uncertfified Sick leave 767 days

Total 12,125

TOTAL DF
Strength 10,528
Excused Duty 21,431
Sick Leave 110,593
Uncertfified Sick leave 16,493

Total 148,517

Number crunching the above gives an average sickness per service of
ARMY 13.38 days per year, AIR CORPS 24.97 days, NAVY 11.37 days

If these were averaged evenly over the year it would mean daily reductions as follows:-

Army 316.26 man days, [or 3.667% of strength]
Air Corps 57.41 man days and [6.84% of strength]
Navy 33.21 man days [3.11% of strength]
[Total 406.89 man days] [3.86% of Total Strength]

NB These are all based on a 7 dayworking week


This has been the first enquiry as to sickness levels in the Defence Forces in a number of years.

I just hope this is not the start of increased scrutany by the "paymasters"

How does this equate with our civil servant partners and the country in general?

[Darksaga]

No one is ever sick on a friday!

[trellheim]

Well you need IBEC or Govt. figures to compare that to , also need the average number of days worked/week/soldier

[Goldie fish]

There was an article on the irish Mail on sunday dealing with this, pointing out that the Air Corps have twice the average of the Army and Air Corps.

[Sluggie]

They're so stressed out up there in Baldonnell, what with the high operational tempo and all that.

[Parts]

I'm thankful that this has finally entered the public domain, perhaps now Joe Public will get as exercised over all the sick merchants as he does over poor recruits getting a hard time because some big, bad corporal told them to "hurry the fjuk up and get on parade."

[Groundhog]

DAIL DEBATES 26/10/2006

Question 174

Mr Costello Asked
The number of personnel in the Army, Navy and Air Corps, quantity of sick leave experienced over last twelve months ...

Usually when this kind of Kick The DF question is asked it means that something bad is about to happen. Maybe they're going to abolish another brigade or something.

Or perhaps the TDs just want to divert public attention from their latest massive pay hike.

[hedgehog]

usuaally when this kind of Kick The DF question is asked it means that something bad is about to happen. Maybe they're going to abolish another brigade or something.

Ground Hog is right

stand by for some type of attack on us

which will be justified by " Sure look at the amount of sick days they take"

the question that should be asked

is what type of medical facilities and treatments are available to members of the DF

hit the MAP in most barracks and you will see the same malinering whinging duty avoiding

personnel queueing up for there hand out of ED

safe in the knowledge that the doctor doesnt give a bollox whether you are truly sick or

a bluffer

because he is going to get a set fee for seeing you

and another fee when he writes on the sick report

see me at end of ED

sort out the muck of medical officers we have- sort out the bluffers

and then ask the same question again

[Snacker]

hit the MAP in most barracks and you will see the same malinering whinging duty avoiding

personnel queueing up for there hand out of ED

safe in the knowledge that the doctor doesnt give a bollox whether you are truly sick or

a bluffer

because he is going to get a set fee for seeing you

and another fee when he writes on the sick report

see me at end of ED

sort out the muck of medical officers we have- sort out the bluffers

and then ask the same question again

Very Well said Hedgy!

[Kieran Marum]

Usually when this kind of Kick The DF question is asked it means that something bad is about to happen. Maybe they're going to abolish another brigade or something.

Or perhaps the TDs just want to divert public attention from their latest massive pay hike.

You should see what the British have just come up with


www.army.mod.uk/servingsoldier/whatsgoingon/sickness_absence_management.htm


Sickness Absence Managment


Army Home Page / Serving Soldier / What's Going On?
BETTER SUPPORT FOR SOLDIERS OFF SICK
AGAI Volume 3 Chapter 99 Sickness Absence Management (PDF) [35 PAGES]Sickness Absence Management Handbook (PDF) [60 PAGES]

Soldiers off work due to injury or illness will now be managed and supported better by the Army as of 1 October 2006 when the new Sickness Absence Management (SAM) policy takes effect.


How does the new policy benefit the soldier? For a start, the Army will provide the right level of support for all those who are sick wherever it is needed. Other benefits include:

• Reducing the time soldiers take to return to work by close co-operation with the medical services and resolving related issues as they arise.
• Helping to prepare soldiers who are sick for a long time to return to work (eg medically agreed graduated work experience and/or professional development activity).
• Supporting those unable to return to a meaningful military service by taking them throughout the resettlement discharge process in a timely and sensi pagetive manner.

The new policy benefits the Army in many ways as well. The key is that it should reduce the level of absence through sickness in terms of numbers and duration which should reduce the impact sickness absence has on overall operational capability. This will ultimately mean a reduced burden on those currently covering for soldiers off sick.


NB Note the first objective "Reducing the time soldiers take to return to work by close co-operation with the medical services ........."

I hope this does not take off !!!!!!!!!

[spike]

hedgehog, agree with 100% on the malingering in the MAP. considering that some guys never go sick, and some don't use all their USL, imagine what sort of skew that would put on their figures.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all
With regard to USL, I remember the furore when it was announced that the non-officer ranks were to get USL, same as the brownbooters. There was an immediate outcry from the likes of RACO that the ordinary troops would squander USL as unofficial leave days, which is exactly what happened (in the Don, at any rate), despite the fact that the officers had been doing just that for years. I also remember the stink it caused in orderly rooms as lads with hangovers would ring in for a sickie and avoid duties. As for malingerers and wastrel doctors, seen it,too. It was almost regarded as a mark of shame if you attended the doctor and failed to get ED.The absolute reality is that those who want to waste time/slide off/prioritise nixers before duty,etc will do so and by and large, will get away with it, as it's very, very hard to police.
regards
GttC

[Barry]

http://forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=9857

Well, at least one person didn't get away with it........

[Parts]

I also remember the stink it caused in orderly rooms as lads with hangovers would ring in for a sickie and avoid duties.

You can't go USL off a duty, to quote a certain Sgt Maj, known as Little Legs, or the Fat Controller.

[hptmurphy]

Point to be rememeber......being in close contact with large amounts [relatively speaking] can lead to cross in fection and high rates of illness..in genuine cases....there were cases in the past if some one got say the flu on board a ship..the whole crew got it.

Every work place has its share of malingers and it is the syatem of uncertified sick leave that allows this..in the old days..you went ion sick parade..if you didn't show for work you were absent...simple as.....good cure for epidemics too