Bradford Council employees taking sick days “here and there” are compromising the authority’s ability to deliver services to the people of the district, a meeting heard.

Councillor Simon Cooke (Con, Bingley Rural) told the Council’s corporate overview and scrutiny committee the authority must work hard to keep sickness absence rates down.

The meeting heard how the rate had slightly increased in 2012/13, compared with 2011/12. It had been dropping for the six years before that.

“We are not an employment agency,” said Coun Cooke. “Our job is to deliver services to the people of Bradford.

“If we are in a situation where sickness is compromising the services, it is something we have to pay attention to. People who are off for a day here and there are compromising our ability to deliver our services.”

Coun Cooke was responding to an attendance report by Matt Burghardt, the Council’s interim head of human resources.