Workplace sickness

Three-quarters of employees suffering with stress related problems are able to return to work within six months, according to Legal & General data.

Jelf has urged the government to target tax breaks for workplace healthcare provision at employers and argued such a move could produce an "entire culture shift".

Employing wellbeing strategies in the workplace will backfire if the workforce believe the aim is to get more work out of them Simplyhealth has said.

Employers are failing to get to grips with sickness absence and many are unaware of their current absence levels and the associated costs.

More than a quarter of a million people are claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) because of mental and behavioural disorders, research has revealed.

Doctors have hit back at proposals that would force them to encourage patients to stay in or go back to work as soon as possible.

Jelf has warned that many of the key recommendations of the Sickness Absence Review are unlikely to ever be realised and called its decision to ignore income protection (IP) as ‘madness'.

Absence management procedures have not kept pace with technology and the way Britain works, resulting in serious welfare, management and productivity issues, a new report has said.

Ellipse has entered the group income protection (GIP) market with the launch of its InteractPlus product which includes an integrated absence management system.

Businesses and government need to issue a "clear and consistent message from the top that work is good for you", the co-author of the Sickness Absence Review has said.