Depression and stress account for an astonishing 29% of sick leave taken by staff at Gateshead Council this year.
Although the prevalence of depression and stress-related absences has fallen from almost 35% in 2021, it remains the single largest factor. By comparison, Covid-19-related sick days accounted for 17.7% of the total absences in 2022.
Michelle Brown, service director for HR workforce development, said: "In my past experience, you can capture this as either work-related or personal. What we don't understand at the moment is which it is.
