Employees at the Glasgow prison took 9125 days off in the first 10 months of last year, which was the most out of all jails across the country.
The Sunday Mail reported that in Scotland 65,000 working days were lost due to illness with “tired and broken” staff.
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It comes as last month, it was revealed more than 250 staff are attacked every year.
Phil Fairlie, assistant general secretary of the Prison Officers Association, said: “Next to mental health issues, the next most significant reason for staff absence is musculoskeletal injuries, in an ageing, overworked and overtired workforce.
“They have been patrolling the galleries, breaking up fights, taking punches and kicks and running up and down stairs in response to alarms for decades.
“They are tired and some are broken. To expect prison officers to operate in that environment well into their 60s is madness and government needs to address this.
“It is a ticking time bomb for our prisons and a genuine risk to the prisons’ ability to continue to function effectively.”
The Sunday Mail reported that from January until October there were 65,719 working days lost to sickness among Scottish Prison Service’s (SPS) 4900 staff. That compares with 47,152 absences in 2015.
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Fairlie added: “Our members are working in overcrowded, volatile and challenging circumstances over a prolonged period of time and it is taking its toll. The overcrowding and increase in violence is clearly a factor but it is only a part of the story.
“Ironically, with such high sick numbers we are dependent on more and more staff working longer hours and doing significant amounts of overtime, just to keep the prisons functioning.”
The jail with the most sick days last year was Barlinnie in Glasgow with 9125 in the first 10 months. Second was Glenochil with 8459 then HMP Edinburgh at 6934.
Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill MSP said: “The SNP government must act now to protect public safety and ensure staff receive the adequate support needed for people in these vital roles.”
Scottish Conservative justice spokesperson Liam Kerr added: “The more staff who are absent or forced to leave, the worse things will get for those left to pick up the pieces.”
An SPS spokesperson said: “While our staff numbers have increased, particularly with the transition of HMP Kilmarnock into SPS control in March 2024, we recognise the impact of absence and seek to support those individuals, their colleagues, and wider establishments.
“In September, last year, we signed up to NHS Lothian’s Lifelines Scotland project, a dedicated service to promote wellbeing and resilience among emergency responders, in addition to supporting staff through our employee assistance programme and occupation health.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson added: “We recognise the importance of providing a safe environment for staff who work in our prisons, which can be a difficult and intensive environment.”
