what the numbers say

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During the last Paris Council, the presentation of the single social report allowed the different groups to return to the human resources policy of the City, Friday October 11, 2024. On this occasion, the question ofabsenteeism of civil servants was hotly debated. The executive, through Olivia Polski, deputy in charge of human resources for a year, had to defend itself against a Parisian right accusing it of “carelessness”.

“Exponential and monumental absenteeism”

Grégory Canal, Paris councilor for the 15th arrondissement of the Changer Paris group, criticized a “continued decline in attractiveness of Paris town hall”, a “number of quite prodigious departures» and a “scary” figure of resignations …

But what most crystallized the tensions in the hemicycle was the absenteeism rate public servants. Quoting “ 39.6 days of absence on average for agents of the city of Paris” and recalling that at the “national level it is 9.7 days in the public service, 6.7 in the private sector”, Grégory Canal demanded explanations.

Same indignation in the ranks of the MoDem from which Séverine de Compreignac, councilor of the 6th arrondissement, spoke out deploring a “ exponential absenteeism
and monumental. For Samia Badat-Karam, Paris councilor for the 16th arrondissement of the Changer Paris group, if it is “not a question of overwhelming city officials […] who provide remarkable work”, this absenteeism reflects “a lack of recognition and appreciation”.

“That means you are against parental leave”

Deputy in charge of human resources at Paris town hall, Olivia Polski denounced a “right equal to itself, caricature”. And to return to the rate of absenteeism which would be “a sign of vitality and solidarity », causing a strong reaction in the hemicycle.

This means that you are against paternity leave, maternity leave, adoption leave, parental leave (…), absences for caregivers and for training.

What do the numbers say?

On the absences for health reasons(ordinary sick leave, long-term leave, long-term sick leave, work accident, occupational disease), the single social report notes a decline between 2022 and 2023, where the rate fell from 9.68% to 9.14%. Figures that remain higher than previous years where the rates were 8.41% in 2021, 7.65% in 2020, 8.13% in 2019 and 7.76% in 2018 in particular.

Insight is provided on leave for “ordinary illness”: 4.18% in 2023, 4.99% in 2022, 4.04% in 2021, 3.41% in 2020 and 3.75% in 2019.

Olivia Polski justifies these absences in part by leave linked to parenthood. In three years, according to previous reports, the number of spouses having taken a paternity leave has increased . While they were 74.4% in 2020, they are now 100% using the system.

Furthermore, the adoption leave has doubled in four years. Going from 220 days in 2020 (for five agents concerned) to 443 days in 2023 (for four agents). Regarding maternity leave, the evolution is marginal and decreasing (122,153 days for 1,243 in 2020, 100,245 days for 1,021 agents in 2023).

While the deputy of Paris en Commun relies on the solidarity leaveto partly explain the increase in absenteeism, it experienced a very strong increase going from 35 days for three agents in 2022 to 341 days for four civil servants in 2023. Note that in 2020, the days of absence linked to family solidarity leave in 2020 were 473 for 11 civil servants concerned.

Finally, the leave for caregivers created in 2022, represented 55 days of absence (for one official concerned), compared to 785 days in 2023 (for nine agents).

On the other hand, the number of strike days was singled out by the opposition. Year of mobilization against pension reform in particular, 2023 was marked by 80,797 days of absence in connection with a local or national slogan (45,855 days in 2022 and 61,041 days in 2021).

Rather than absenteeism, unions denounce the precariousness of agents

On the side of the unions, it isdecline in the number of civil servantsand theincrease in the number of contract workersbetween 2019 and 2023 which concerns more than absenteeism at the CGT as well as at FO and Supap-FSU.

In a press release, FO deplores “a drop in the number of civil servants (-3.24%) and an increase in the number of contract workers between 2019 and 2023 (+ 15% for permanent contracts and + 18.96% for fixed-term contracts)” when Supap -FSU recalls that “the number of full-time contract workers in permanent employment has increased by 600 since 2020”.

A problem of attractiveness which was the subject of a communication during a Council meeting almost a year ago to the day. The establishment of a four-day week, additional protection and a zero-interest loan in particular were then mentioned in an attempt to stem the flight of agents towards the private sector.

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