Employers will soon receive advice on managing absence if one of the recommendations laid out in the...
Employers will soon receive advice on managing absence if one of the recommendations laid out in the Government's review of the nation's workplace health comes into effect, writes Peter Carvill.
In Working for a healthier tomorrow, Dame Carol Black outlined the three principal objectives of the review: the prevention of illness and promotion of health and well-being; early intervention for those who develop a health condition; and an improvement in the health of those not working.
Among the 10 core recommendations was the substitution of paper-based sick notes for electronic 'fit notes' which detail what work a person can do instead of signing them off indefinitely. The service was provisionally dubbed 'Fit for Work' and aims to make work-related health support universally available and improve employers' understanding of the health and work relationship .
The review revealed working absence costs the UK economy over £100bn a year, a figure calculated as being equivalent to the GDP of Portugal.
The industry welcomed Dame Black's recommendations. Fergus Kee, managing director at Bupa, said the review was correct to concentrate on the benefits of workplace health, adding: "Nine out of 10 employers say they want support from the Government to invest in health at work and over half would invest more if they were incentivised to do so. Investing in workplace health offers a triple win: better health for the individual, better productivity for the employer and increased profitability for UK Plc."
Shaun Matisonn, chief executive at PruProtection, praised the Government's proposals. He said: "We welcome the findings and the importance placed on the prevention of illness and the promotion of health and wellbeing. We are particularly pleased that the report recognises the key role employers can play in promoting health and wellbeing."
