Tackle workplace sickness to unlock hidden growth, former John Lewis boss says
Summary
A group of over 250 major UK employers has launched a taskforce called Get Britain Working to reduce long-term sickness absence and help workers return to their jobs. The initiative aims to improve workplace health tracking and reduce costs linked to illness, which currently total £212 billion a year in the UK.Key Facts
- More than 250 large UK employers, including British Airways, Tesco, and Royal Mail, joined the Get Britain Working taskforce.
- The taskforce’s goal is to prevent people from leaving work due to long-term illness and support their return to jobs.
- Illness-related absence costs the UK economy £212 billion annually.
- Participating employers will track sickness absence, return-to-work results, and disability inclusion to improve workplace health visibility.
- Other businesses like Sainsbury’s, EDF Energy, Currys, and 10 mayoral authorities including London and Manchester are also involved.
- Former John Lewis chair Sir Charlie Mayfield highlights lack of communication between employers and sick employees as a key problem.
- The plan aims to reduce welfare spending, which is forecasted to be 23.6% of government expenditure in 2025-26.
- Sir Charlie believes improving return-to-work rates can boost the economy without needing new workers from housing development, immigration, or young people entering the workforce.
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