Last week the Department for Work & Pensions and Department of Health issued a major document entitled:

“Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper”

The document is rather large at 90 plus pages, but this is fitting as the topic it covers is certainly more mountain than molehill. For the subject at hand is that of ensuring that ill and disabled people are able to maintain their place in the UK workplace. As the Ministerial foreword states;

“A disability or health condition should not dictate the path a person is able to take in life - or in the workplace. What should count is a person’s talents and determination and aspiration to succeed.”

And the same section later goes on to ask this key question;

“What will it take to transform the employment prospects of disabled people with long-term health conditions?”

What indeed? The reality is that this is a huge subject, and the report ranges across a wide range of terrain, much of which is frankly outside of the scope of this blog (for instance a welcome review of the mechanics of Statuary Sick Pay (SSP)). That said, there were several items that feature which have also been covered here (and/or our events) in the recent past. The ones that have so far caught my eye are as follows:

[1] Firstly, and importantly, there is a re-statement of the importance of tackling long-term absence in the UK workplace. The report highlights that sickness absence costs the UK around £100bn every year, with £9bn of that cost being met by employers. This is therefore an important issue for all employers, large and small alike.

[2] With (1) above in mind, the report goes on to ask some pertinent questions. One of which is “how big a role can we expect employers to play in ensuring access to opportunities for disabled people, and how can the ‘business case’ for inclusive practices be strengthened?” The fact that this question is (rightly) being asked at all suggests that change in this area might be forthcoming in the not too distant future.

[3] The role of workers who also double as carers is also raised. According to the document as many as 3 million people combine paid work with providing informal care to family and friends. The Green Paper also mentions that an estimated 2 million people have given up paid work to care. This is a topic we touched on in a June blog post, and indeed at our recent Jelf Employment Seminars.

[4] The increased likelihood of Long Term Conditions (LTC’s) in the workplace as a result of the rapidly aging UK workforce is also mentioned, with the report highlighting that “With health conditions and disabilities more prevalent in this group, employers will increasingly need to support their employees to remain healthy and manage their conditions if they are to make the most of their skills and experience.”. Again this is a topic we have covered in recent years, with one of our more pertinent posts available here.

[5] Another interesting area - and certainly not one that we have previously posted on - is what employers should and should not know about the health of their employees. The document highlights that currently UK employers are not required to know the details about disability or sickness in their workforce. This statement suggests that some change, enforced or otherwise, may be under consideration here.

[6] In a similar vein to [5] above, paragraph 200 looks at the approach taken by some other countries (for instance Norway and the Netherlands) in mandating contact between employers and employees during long-term absence. Again this may be an area where change may lie ahead for employers.

[7] The use of Fit Notes is also considered afresh, with the report openly highlighting something that most HR professionals have long known, that GPs are rarely using the Fit Note to its full potential. The official acceptance of this truth indicates that some alteration to this process may lie ahead - with one possible solution being the extension of fit-note certification from doctors in primary care to other healthcare professionals.

[8] Inevitably, and rightly, there is also mention of the role that Employee Benefits can play in such issues. Greater use of all benefits with a “health” dimension is of course a given, but the stand-out point is the expression of very open encouragement to the insurance industry to expand the reach and availability of Group Income Protection (GIP) insurance to smaller employers. This is a welcome move, and as I explored in my Mindful Money column last year, GIP plans have a genuine, important, and as yet still largely overlooked role to play in returning absent employees to the workplace quickly through the early intervention tools now provided by such schemes as standard.

So there is much to be welcomed in this paper - but with such a grand and all-encompassing vision the objectives and actions needed may be a distant prospect. To be fair, this is recognised by the report itself, which includes this line to manage expectations:

“This challenge is not one that will be solved quickly, but we know that to build a country that works for everyone, we must address issues with a long-term return. This is why we have a 10-year vision for reform”.

So, although it is early days, it seems clear that this report could well become the cornerstone of a new package of measures to tackle long-term absence and disability issues in the workplace.

For more information on any of the above topics, please speak to your usual Jelf consultant.

Best regards

Steve

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