HALIFAX -- Sick days and overtime within Nova Scotia's civil service left the province with $38 million in extra costs in the last fiscal year, the province's public service commissioner said Wednesday.

Laura Lee Langley told the legislature's public accounts committee that $12 million was paid in overtime in 2013-14 while sick days cost an additional $26 million.

The figures don't include costs incurred by workers in the health care and education sectors as they aren't directly employed by the civil service, Langley said.

She said government employees, who are entitled by contract to 18 sick days annually, book on average 12.6 sick days each year.

Pattern-tracking software has been introduced to help identify where and why absences are occurring, she said, adding that the government is working to reduce that figure through programs that focus on physical and mental health needs as well as workplace safety.

Nonetheless, the cost of absenteeism is concerning, she said.

"As far as we are concerned, we want to and we believe that we can reduce that number if we can reduce absenteeism," Langley said.

Following the hearing, Langley said the majority of the sick days are legitimate.

"If we step in a little earlier to help give them the supports to get them back into the workplace, that will make a difference in the amount of time that they are taking," she said.

Overtime costs were mainly due to staffing and recruiting issues, the public accounts committee was told.

Langley also said the nature of the work done by corrections officers and workers in the Transportation Department often lead to increased overtime requirements.

Overtime costs have been consistent year-to-year and amount to about two per cent of what the government pays in salaries.

The departments with the most overtime in 2013-14 include Justice at $4.5 million, Transportation at $3.7 million and Community Services, which paid out $1.8 million.

Tim Houston, a Progressive Conservative member who sits on the public accounts committee, said the costs are concerning, especially because they don't take into account staff who work in health and education.

"The cost to taxpayers is significantly higher," said Houston.

But Houston said he is encouraged the province is taking some steps to address the costs.