Sefton schools get tough on staff sickness

May 26 2009 Liverpool Daily Post

Bryn Marsh

EDUCATION chiefs plan to summon sick teachers into school in a bid to tackle staff absence.

The new no-nonsense proposals will also require teachers incapable of leaving their sick beds to accommodate monitoring visits from school bosses at home or in hospital.

Sefton council insist the planned policy meets employment law and is necessary because schools cannot operate or “financially sustain persistent failure to attend for work.”

But horrified union chiefs have branded the proposed rules “an invasion of privacy” which could make teachers’ ailments worse.

Bryn Marsh, director of children’s services in the borough, is calling for colleagues to back the get tough policy next month.

Setting it out in a new report, he stresses school staff “should be treated fairly” and given support to help them with attendance.

Teachers clocking up four or more sick days face having to explain the reason for their absence and if off for any length of time will be regularly grilled by their line managers.

This will include regular phone calls home and face-to-face meetings as frequent as every two weeks.

John Rimmer, Merseyside executive member for teaching union, NAS/UWT said: “We are opposed to this harassment, and the plan to use telephone contact in this way is an invasion of privacy.”