More East Devon council workers leaving

One in eight quit last year

Staff turnover at a Devon council has risen while people on long-term sick leave are amplifying the number of days lost due to absence.

East Devon District Council’s personnel committee this week heard that staff turnover had reached 11.5 per cent in the 11 months to the end of February.

Officers said they expected the figure for the full financial year, which ended at the start of this month, to be just over 12.6 per cent –  well above the 8.9 per cent level notched up in the year to April 2024.

It means around one in eight people will have left their jobs.

A total of 52 people chose to leave the council in the 11-month period under review, with career moves being the most common reason.

One left for a better salary and one mentioned poor working relationships.

The committee heard non-voluntary departures would also rise for the recently ended financial year because four people had been sacked and the contracts of three people came to an end.

The data came as part of a wider report, which also showed that the number of days lost per full-time employee had hit 10 days, similar to the 2023/24 financial year, compared to a target of 8.5 days.

Gemma Roberts, interim lead for human resources, said the council’s absence figures were comparable with other similar organisations nationally, and are better than neighbouring peers including Plymouth City Council, Exeter City Council, Mid Devon District Council and West Devon Borough Council.

She added that if long-term absence is removed, the council would only have six days per full-time equivalent lostto absence. That figure nationally is around 7.8 days.

The council said there had been 19 long-term absences – which it classified as more than two months – in the 2024/25 financial year, with six people still off work.

Ms Roberts said muscular skeletal issues are the most common reason for long-term absence.

East Devon will also no longer report covid separately, something which it did during the pandemic and also amid a spike last year.