Burnley Council staff take fewer sick days than neighbouring authorities
New figures reveal significant differences in sickness absence across Lancashire's local authorities
Burnley Council staff took considerably fewer days off sick than employees at neighbouring authorities during the last financial year, new figures reveal.
Figures for 2025/26 show an average of 6.84 working days were lost to sickness per full-time equivalent employee at Burnley Borough Council – compared with 12.24 days at Pendle and 11.36 days at Ribble Valley.
The figures put Burnley among the lowest of the Lancashire local authorities included in the comparison, although data was not available for every council in the county.
South Ribble recorded the highest figure in the data supplied, with an average of 15.7 working days lost per employee – more than twice Burnley's total.
Wyre was the closest to Burnley, recording an average of 6.98 days, followed by Hyndburn on 7.23 days and Chorley on 7.54 days.
Lancashire County Council recorded 7.92 days, while Blackburn with Darwen reported 9.63 days and Lancaster recorded 10 days. Preston also featured towards the higher end of the figures, with an average of 12.18 days lost per employee.
Lukman Patel, Burnley council chief executive, said: “Our low sickness rates are driven by our unbelievable culture. This isn’t a league table, but it does underline that the power of staff morale, well-being and the positive relationships that shape how we work should never be underestimated.
“Trust matters. When people feel supported, respected and connected, they thrive, and that strength is reflected in the way our teams show up and deliver excellence every single day.
“It’s the same culture that helped us become Council of the Year, and it continues to power the pride, performance and resilience that set Burnley apart. Our workforce consistently goes above and beyond, and these figures are just one example of what a values‑driven organisation can achieve.”