Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency human resources team claims it is on track to cut sickness absence following damning sickness rate report

The human resources team at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has said the organisation is on track to reduce sick leave despite a damning report into ‘amazingly high’ absence rates.

The report by the Public Accounts Committee said sick leave “seems to be a way of life” at the DVLA and the Driving Standards Agency, both under the Department for Transport.

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More than 1,000 employees at the DVLA, Swansea, took more than 21 days’ sick leave a year, with nine absent for the whole year. The MPs’ report demanded a review and crackdown.

But Huw Harris, a member of the DVLA’s HR strategy and diversity group, said the agency was on target to reduce sickness levels by 30% by 2010. “[The report] also acknowledged the good work the agency had done to reduce sickness absence levels while maintaining high levels of customer service in the face of increased workloads and reducing staff numbers,” he said.