The Commission for Healthier Working Lives, the group administered by The Health Foundation, which represents employers, policy and economy experts and workers, has published its final report and recommendations on the action needed to address the decline in working-age health. This sets out practical steps to shift policy and action towards preventing people from having to leave the workforce.
Currently 8.2 million working-age people report having a long-term health condition that limits their ability to work. While employment rates for this group have improved in recent decades, only half are in work today. Each year, over 300,000 people leave their jobs and end up out of the workforce entirely with work-limiting health conditions – predominantly related to musculoskeletal or mental health.
This has resulted in substantial costs for individuals, employers and the wider economy, and risks deepening existing inequalities. With the cost of inaction high and only likely to grow, The Commission for Healthier Working Lives – which is Chaired by Sacha Romanovitch OBE, CEO, Fair4All Finance and whose members include Dame Carol Black DBE and Gary Dewin, People Director, The Co-operative Group – proposes reform should be guided by the following aims:
- Incentives to support preventative action
- Prevention through best practice
- Capacity for early, joined-up support
This infographic, featured in the report, clearly sets out the the new proposed approach to keeping people in work vs. the current approach:
Industry response
Commenting on The Commission’s report and recommendations, Katherine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, the industry body for group risk said:
“There are a lot of positives to take from the report; in particular, we see this as a welcome contribution in highlighting what it is that employers need to do to improve workplace health, recognising best practice and an endorsement of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) model that insurers use as standard alongside Group Income Protection (GIP). This recognition is welcome in shifting the debate towards how more of the working population could gain access to the back-to-work help that GIP provides through VR, and how best to fill gaps in employer support for people when they find themselves unable to work for an extended period for reasons of ill-health.
We’re particularly encouraged by the report’s recognition of the bigger role insurance could play, and that Government should play a convening role on identifying and promoting best practice in workplace health.
Meanwhile, Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:
“We welcome the final report published by the Commission for Healthier Working Lives, which the CIPD supported. It calls for a new partnership between government, businesses and individuals to deliver the long-term changes needed. These include earlier intervention via a service providing independent advice to employers, advocacy for workers and referrals to wider support.
“The report also calls for a review of job design, accessibility and best practice in workforce health and retention. The CIPD’s research shows that line management capability is the main challenge employers experience in supporting health and wellbeing. Creating healthier work has to go hand in hand with building better-managed and more productive workplaces, with a strong focus on building people management competence.
“If the UK is to raise productivity and boost growth, we need a long-term workforce strategy underpinned by more skilled, healthy and fair work. It is only by a stronger focus on job quality to support people’s health that we will improve labour market participation. We look forward to engaging with the Keep Britain Working review, led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, as an opportunity to develop more joined up policy reform across government departments.”
You can download The Commission for Healthier Working Lives’ final report entitled “Action for healthier working lives” here.
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