Civil service unions say the causes of stress must be tackled

Civil servants on average took two weeks off sick last year, says the study published on Monday.

The report, compiled for the Cabinet Office by Aon Limited, says Monday was the most popular day for people to start going off sick.

The average number of days off comes despite the fact that more than a third of staff took no time off at all.

And another third took between one and five days off sick, suggesting a minority of staff were off for much more than the average of 10 working days.

Target missed

The new figures are up on the 2003 average of 9.8 working days, while the government target is 7.2 days.

In July, Chancellor Gordon Brown announced a review of civil service sick leave.

Cabinet Office Minister Ruth Kelly on Monday said the results of that review would be published shortly.

The big stick approach is not going to tackle such sick absence Public and Commercial Services Union spokesman

"Meanwhile, the Cabinet Office is continuing to work with other departments and agencies as they take forward their plans to reduce sickness absence," she said.

Conservative spokesman Oliver Heald said the amount of sick leave was part of Labour's "culture of waste" in the civil service.

"Labour are all talk, failing to deliver on their own promises on tackling absenteeism, and leaving the taxpayer to foot the bill," he said.

A spokesman for the Public and Commercial Services Union warned that government plans to cut 100,000 civil servants could make things worse.

Its research following a group of civil servants for more than 10 years suggested stress and job uncertainty could be a key factor, he said.

National strike

The spokesman added: "What the figures show is an increase in long-term sickness in mental health illness.

"The big stick approach is not going to tackle such absence. We really have to look at the root causes of it."

The PCS is mounting a national strike on Friday in protest at the job cut plans.