Brown to curb Civil Service 'sickies'

Civil servants are facing new curbs on sick leave in a bid to cut soaring costs.

Chancellor Gordon Brown is said to be considering fresh measures to stop "skivers" abusing the system.

This follows new figures showing that the public sector is losing ?4 billion a year or more through staff sick days - equivalent to an extra penny on income tax and another penny on fuel duty.

Statistics show government employees take more than two weeks off a year over and above their holiday allowance - 40 per cent more than those working in the private sector.

Among the options thought to be under consideration are stopping sick pay for the first few days of illness. The strategy is already used against "sickies" by private-sector firms including Tesco, Asda, Debenhams and Sainsbury's.

The latest statistics - compiled by Britain's leading human resources organisation, the Chartered-Institute of Personnel and Development - show that the average public-sector worker takes almost 11 days off sick every year.

They are embarrassing for Downing Street, coming amid a drive to cut waste and improve efficiency in the public sector. Relations between Mr Brown and Whitehall staff are already strained by his plans to cut up to 40,000 civil service jobs.

But he is understood to be particularly interested in the Tesco scheme, under which employees do not receive pay for the first three days of absence through sickness.