The figures show that public sector workers take, on average, 2.9 more sick days a year that private sector workers – or, if you like 37% more. Even when compared to the manufacturing sector which involves more manual labour, public sector workers are still taking 18% more sick leave.

Average number of days lost per employee per sector per annum
Private Services: 7.8
Manufacturing & Production: 9.2
Public Services: 10.7

This must have something to do with all of those M&A lawyers & investment bankers with their expensive private medical insurance policies. Apologists for the shoddy attendance record of public employees carp on about ‘financial imperatives’ & the increasing stress of public sector work where previously easy jobs are at long last being subjected to qualitative & quantitative analysis. Eh?

Squealing like stuck pigs about the so-called ‘stress’ of public sector where jobs, NHS workers take 11.6 days off a year. I would be delighted if some work shy bleeding heart stress councillor could like to explain to me how sweeping a hospital floor in Wales so more stressful than running a derivative arbitrage group in Canary Wharf. They cant, because it isn’t.

Oh, & while we are on the subject of the Welsh, they appear to be the sickest people in the country – could it have something to do with all of that singing together in close harmony.

Average number of days lost per employee per annum by region
Wales: 10.7
North West: 10.4
West Midlands: 9.6
Yorkshire & Humberside: 9.6
East Midlands: 9.3
South West: 8.7
East Anglia: 8.6
South East: 8.6
Northern Ireland: 7.7
London: 6.9

What’s this then, people in the South East taking less sick leave, working harder, surely not..!! Interesting though, Northern Ireland popping up in second place – could it be all of those naughty Orangemen actually proving the Protestant Work Ethic..?? Nope, I feel sure that these figures are all a function of the South being so much richer & hence able to improve health by tennis club memberships…