BBC pays the cost as employees take sick days due to stress-related illness
THE BBC says an average of 16 staff do not show up to work each day because of stress-related illness.
BBC employees are taking sick days for stress-related illness
New figures from the broadcaster show that over the last six years there were 36,232 days missed by employees suffering stress, anxiety or depression.
The figures reveal the average time taken off by a “stressed” employee is around one month.
Levels of sick days are well below national averages
Separate data from the corporation shows that it spends around £125,000-per-year providing its employees with a free, confidential counselling service.
Jonathan Isaby, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Whatever the BBC is doing to ensure the mental health of its staff, it isn’t working.”
A BBC spokesman said: “Levels of sick days are well below national averages – and falling – and 125 staff out of 18,647 taking stress-related leave is a tiny fraction of the workforce.”