Today (Monday 15 July) Work and Pensions Secretary and Health Secretary are setting out new measures
to transform how employers support and retain disabled staff and
those with a health condition.
Under the new measures the lowest paid employees would be
eligible for Statutory Sick Pay for the first time, while small
businesses may be offered a sick pay rebate to reward those who
effectively manage employees on sick leave and help them get back
to work.
Each year more than 100,000 people leave their job following a
period of sickness absence lasting at least 4 weeks, new figures
show.
The longer somebody is on sickness absence the more likely they
are to fall out of work, with 44% of people who had been off sick
for a year then leaving employment altogether.
Work and Pensions Secretary said:
I want Britain to be an environment where disabled people and
those with health conditions can thrive, not just survive – not
only in work but every area of their lives.
With 3 in 5 employers facing challenges when supporting
employees to return to work, it’s time that we took a closer
look at how businesses can retain staff.
Good work is good for our mental and physical health, and by
working closely with employers we can help prevent the loss of
talent when people unnecessarily leave the workplace.
Businesses and health providers will be asked for their views on
how to remove the barriers in the current system which stop
employers from taking action, with small employers expected to
need the most support.
The majority of small employers reported a lack of time and
capital to invest in support as the key issues.
The government will also consider whether to change legal
guidance to encourage employers to intervene early during a
period of sickness absence.
Health Secretary said:
Too many still face challenges returning to work after sick
leave. We need to remove the barriers that stop people with
disabilities or health conditions from reaching their full
potential – these steps will help us achieve that.
Businesses will also benefit from being able to retain talent,
and build workplaces that support the physical and mental
health needs of their employees.
While government can help create the right conditions, employers
are best placed to take the small actions that help disabled
people and those with health conditions to remain in work.
Evidence shows that early intervention by an employer is
important in reducing the number of people leaving the workforce
for health reasons. Employers can use simple, low-cost measures
such as making flexible adjustments to someone’s working pattern
or keeping in touch with people while they are on sick leave.
CBI Chief UK Policy Director Matthew Fell said:
Managing sickness absence effectively and reducing it through
proactive health and wellbeing initiatives and policies makes
good business sense. Where this helps disabled people to
contribute their best at work it can also be an important part
of employers’ diversity and inclusion efforts.
With the UK’s productivity performance under the spotlight,
many employers know that a well-thought-out health and
wellbeing strategy can help boost performance and make their
company a better place to work.
Adding greater flexibility to statutory sick pay so it supports
mental as well as physical health makes sense and reflects the
reality that 1 in 4 people will experience such an illness each
year.
Firms look forward to working with government to develop health
and wellbeing approaches that work for business and for
employees.
Prerana Issar, Chief People Officer, NHS England said:
Helping people manage their health while at work through common
sense measures like sickness absence management and
occupational health services, is good for employees, better for
employers and ultimately supports both the NHS and the economy.
Today’s consultation is an important step in helping businesses
to support their workers’ health and wellbeing, and while the
NHS will continue to help people when they need it through our
Long Term Plan, we will be able to do even more with strong
backing from employers.
The consultation will also look at how to improve the capacity,
value and quality of occupational health services and consider
how to reduce the high costs, particularly for smaller employers.
The government wants to ensure all employers can access good
advice and support so they understand and are able to act on
their responsibilities to employees.
