Sick leave for public workers and its impact on service remains under discussion, Premier Michael Dunkley said after revealing lengthy spells of sick leave taken by seven Police officers.

“I have discussed this with the Commissioner and he, like other department heads, is working within the existing, historic conditions of service to manage the system effectively,” Mr Dunkley said last night.

Sick leave has emerged in recent years as a contentious issue for the civil service, with the Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission saying one third of public service workers took “unusually high levels of sick leave”.

Under their conditions of service orders, neither Police nor prison officers pay for health insurance: “Government foots the entire bill,” Mr Dunkley told The Royal Gazette.

“I’m not going to get involved in that conversation — that’s up to the negotiating team and the Bermuda Police Association.

“We have said in the Throne Speech and in Budget debate that, based on the climate we find ourselves in, we think it’s appropriate to look at what’s best under the circumstances and have a conversation.

“There are a couple of areas within the condition of service order that are totally different to every other union that the Government deals with. One of them is health insurance.”

Legislators heard earlier in this parliamentary session that a total of $1.61 million was paid out for sick leave in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015.

Responding in yesterday’s House of Assembly to questions from Walter Roban, the Shadow Minister of National Security, Mr Dunkley said two officers had been on extended paid sick leave since 2009, while each pursued civil action against the Bermuda Police Service.

Seven officers have been given extended sick leave beyond six months during the past three financial years, with the lengthiest being nearly 20 months long.

The leave periods were listed as 129 days, 133 days, 134 days, 153 days, 156 days, 311 days and 581 days.

Five of those officers have since returned to full duty, one has returned to restricted duty and one has not, Mr Dunkley said.

Sick leave is granted under a doctor’s advice, and there is no limit to the number of days available to an officer. Since details are confidential, the explanatory categories are confined to “sick”, “unfit to work” or “incapacitated”.

Leave is granted under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Police and the Government.

The Premier conceded there were “some greater efficiencies to be realised in how we apply and administer the system of sick leave within the Bermuda Police Service” but said the situation was not unique to the force.