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Sick police taking a toll in Victoria

Victorian police are taking sickies at the rate of 400 a day, costing the force more than a million man hours last year, it has been reported.

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Source: AAP


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Four hundred police a day are ringing in sick, blaming stress, injuries and illness, the Herald Sun says.

The paper says the staggering sick toll cost the force more than a million man hours last year.

The information, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, revealed 881 officers claimed WorkCover payments last year - up from 850 in 2009.

Police Association secretary Greg Davies told the paper the problem is snowballing and could become an avalanche as other police risk burnout covering for their sick colleagues.

The FoI information showed the force's 12,600 members took a total of 96,831 sick leave days last year.

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From January 2008 to May this year, injured police received a total of more than $9 million a year in compensation payments for time off work and medical and rehabilitation costs.


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