Our ref: 1664869

Summary

The requester asked the Isle of Man Post Office for detailed absence costs including cover, pensions, and NI, as well as accountability for rising absence levels. The authority confirmed that absence costs are not required in statutory accounts but stated it does not hold specific data on cover costs, additional costs, or associated pension/NI contributions.

Key Facts

• IOMPO does not hold information regarding cover costs, additional costs, or associated costs like pensions and employer NI on sick pay.
• Accounting practice does not require the cost of absence to be disclosed within statutory accounts.
• The authority stated that communication obligations under the Post Office Act and Statutory Boards Act are clear and publicly available.
• The question regarding ultimate responsibility for failings was treated as an enquiry rather than a request for held information.
• The request was partially fulfilled with some information sent but not all held.

Data Disclosed

• 2015/16 - £383,705.64
• 2016/17 - £226,964.23
• 2017/18 - £413,571.47
• 2018/19 - £383,580.12
• 2019/20 - £462,377.83
• Y/E March 2020 - Total days absence 4990
• 286.83 FTE
• 17.4 days per FTE staff member
• 2021-05-31
• 2021-06-25

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held
• Accounting practice does not require disclosure in statutory accounts

Original Request

IOMPO's previous response was "IOMPO does not define short and long term absences within its policy. Total cost of absences for the last 5 years (not including cover costs) 2015/16 - £383,705.64 2016/17 - £226,964.23 2017/18 - £413,571.47 2018/19 - £383,580.12 2019/20 - £462,377.83" Can you include cover costs? Can you confirm any additional costs? Can you confirm associated costs ? i.e. pensions paid on the sick pay, employers NI. Can you confirm why these extreme costs are not reported in your Annual Financial Statements report? Have these costs and rising absence levels been disclosed to Tynwald members? If not, why not? Who is ultimately responsible for the IOMPO's failings in dealing with this matter? Y/E March 2020 - Total days absence 4990. 4990 / 286.83 FTE = 17.4 days per FTE staff member! This highlights a serious cultural issue with the organisation and culture starts at the top.

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

Postal Headquarters Spring Valley Industrial Estate Douglas Isle of Man, 1M2 IAA

Switchboard: +44 (0)1624 698400 Telephone: +44 (0)1624 698402 Fax: +44 (0)1624 698406 Email: foi@iompost.com Web: www.iompost.com

Our ref: 1815201 25 June 2021

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 31 May 2021 and which states:

IOMPO's previous response was "IOMPO does not define short and long term absences within its policy. Total cost of
absences for the last 5 years (not including cover costs)
2015/16 - £383,705.64 2016/17 - £226,964.23 2017/18 - £413,571.47 2018/19 - £383,580.12 2019/20 - £462,377.83

1. Can you include cover costs?
2. Can you confirm any additional costs?
3. Can you confirm associated costs? i.e. pensions paid on the sick pay, employers NI.
4. Can you confirm why these extreme costs are not reported in your Annual Financial Statements report?
5. Have these costs and rising absence levels been disclosed to Tynwald members? If not, why not?

6. Who is ultimately responsible for the IOMPO's failings in dealing with this matter? Y/E March 2020 - Total days absence 4990. 4990 / 286.83 FTE = 17.4 days per FTE staff member! This highlights a serious cultural issue with the organisation and culture starts at the top.
   While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.
   I have detailed below the information that is held.

7. Can you include cover costs?
   While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance IOMPO does not hold this information that you have requested.

8. Can you confirm any additional costs?
   While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance IOMPO does not hold this information that you have requested.
9. Can you confirm associated costs? i.e. pensions paid on the sick pay, employers NI.
   While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance IOMPO does not hold this information that you have requested.

10. Can you confirm why these extreme costs are not reported in your Annual Financial Statements report?
    In line with accounting practice, cost of absence is not required to be disclosed within the statutory accounts.

11. Have these costs and rising absence levels been disclosed to Tynwald members? If not, why not?
    Our communication obligations under the Post Office Act and Statutory Boards Act are clear and publically available.

12. Who is ultimately responsible for the IOMPO's failings in dealing with this matter?
    IOMPO believe that this is an enquiry rather than pertaining to any information we hold.

Please quote the reference number 1815201 in any future communications.

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In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

FOI Co-ordinator