Are businesses across Britain sitting on a hidden, untapped potential for growth?
The UK Government seems to think so. Just released this week, the Keep Britain Working: A National Growth Opportunity report makes a compelling case that by directly addressing the increasing economic impact of sickness absence, business leaders will see a positive return on investment while driving UK GDP growth.
This type of action is sorely needed. According to the report, around 2.8 million people are economically inactive because of ill health or disability, while health-related economic inactivity costs Britain around £212 billion a year, close to 7% of GDP.
The report’s central argument is that UK employers should take a more active role in preventing avoidable work loss by investing in comprehensive workplace health, improving employee support and fostering more inclusive workplaces for people with chronic health conditions or disability.
Square Health participated in the Keep Britain Working Vanguard and welcomes the report's focus on earlier intervention, joined-up support, sustained return to work and disability inclusion.
“Health-related work loss is not inevitable. Earlier action, better support and more inclusive work will enhance people’s performance while helping employers retain skills and capability.”
Chris Tomkins, Square Health
Here are three actions employers can take right now to strengthen their organisation’s workplace health plan.
The new Keep Britain Working report claims approximately 300,000 people leave work each year due to a health condition. Of that number, those absent for four to six weeks had a 96% chance of returning to work; however, beyond three months, the likelihood of return fell sharply, with fewer than half returning after a year away.
This paints a clear picture for UK employers: prevention is a key component in a successful workplace health plan and should be the first step in an employee’s health journey. Waiting to act until a fit note arrives or once someone has been absent for weeks may be too late.
Employers should therefore provide a visible, trusted starting point that makes clear where employees can seek confidential support, when managers should seek guidance and how clinical support can be accessed.
You may be thinking, “My organisation already has a robust workplace health programme in place.” But ask yourself: How connected is the process, and what happens between services?
An employee with a health condition might speak to a manager, contact an EAP, visit their GP, receive a fit note, be referred to occupational health and seek treatment through another benefit. However, in a traditional, fragmented system, handovers are often unclear, leaving employees and managers with the arduous, time-consuming task of coordinating the journey themselves.
The Keep Britain Working report's proposed Workplace Health Provision model puts advice, early support and coordination at its centre. For employers, the priority is less about adding another standalone service and more about ensuring existing support works as a connected pathway.
This also means creating safer conversations about disability, health and work. Managers must not diagnose conditions or demand medical details. Their role is to understand how work is being affected, consider what changes could help, explain available support and seek specialist guidance where needed.
Practical adjustments can then help people remain in work while recovering. These might include changes to how their role is structured, assigned duties, working environment, workload and hours, etc. This approach has the added benefit of naturally fostering a more inclusive environment for employees with chronic health conditions or disability.
Setting a return-to-work date is important, but it is not the end of the process.
A critical argument the report makes is that recovery, treatment and workplace adjustments do not always need to happen sequentially. Where appropriate, treatment and work can progress together through adjusted duties, a graduated return and ongoing review.
Employers should therefore focus on whether their employees feel they remain connected, included and able to contribute over time, not simply tracking whether an absence case has been closed. Consistent contact during absence, establishing a practical return-to-work plan with clear actions and review points, and the flexibility to make adjustments and provide continued support when needs change are all integral to the process.
The main goal of the report is neither to eliminate illness nor place responsibility for employee health entirely on the shoulders of employers. It is simply providing a framework for employers to ensure their people remain healthy, productive and included at work, and that when support is needed, it is prompt, efficient and effective.
As a member of the Keep Britain Working Vanguard, Square Health continues to lead the charge for a new industry standard: an integrated model to workforce health that combines occupational health, clinical access, prevention, absence support, case management and workplace insight into one simple package.
If your organisation is ready to take a more connected approach to workforce health, contact us today. Our Workplace Health Consultants will help you explore how integrated healthcare, wellbeing and occupational health services can support your people and your business.