Responding to the Government's Government's launch of the Keep Britain Working Review led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, Alice Martin (Head of Research, Work Foundation at Lancaster University) said:

“We welcome the Government’s Keep Britain Working review, but we should be under no illusions about the scale of the task facing Sir Charlie Mayfield and the Government.

“Economic inactivity due to long-term sickness has been above 2.7 million for 18 consecutive months and shows no sign of falling from near-record levels. Work Foundation longitudinal research on the UK’s working population shows nearly one in ten employees (9%) who experience a decline in health leave work – with most of this attrition happening in the first year highlighting the need for early intervention. Once someone leaves work due to ill health, it becomes progressively more difficult to support them back into employment.

“Employers understand the challenges facing their workforce, but many we have spoken to have expressed fear of getting it wrong when supporting workers with their physical and mental health challenges. And only around a third of businesses say they are introducing preventative measures to minimise work-related harms to health, such as assessing workplace mental health risks and implementing adjustments to manage workload, work pace and role clarity.

“The Mayfield Review has the opportunity to start a national reset on workforce health, but supporting employers to keep Britain working will not be cost free.

“At a time when employers are facing rising costs and Government spending is under pressure, the review must navigate a tricky balance in identifying support to both workers and employers to reduce the numbers leaving the labour market. Nearly half of businesses do not pay above statutory sick pay, despite the UK rate of £116.75 per week being one of the lowest in Europe. SMEs in particular are aware of the challenges but do not always have the resources or capacity to support people to stay in work whilst managing health conditions.”

Data cited:

1. Work Foundation longitudinal research released in December 2024 tracked the employment journeys of more than 9,000 UK workers and found that nearly one in ten employees (9%) who had experienced a decline in health had left the labour market by the end of the four-year study period: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/publications/stemming-the-tide
2. Survey of over 1,000 British businesses by Survation (May 2024). Results:
3. - almost half of employers (47%) say they do not provide more than the statutory minimum level of sick pay – which currently replaces just 17% of a worker’s average weekly earnings: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/publications/time-off
4. - Assessing workplace mental health risks (36%) and implementing adjustments to manage workload, work pace and role clarity (37%). https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/publications/stemming-the-tide
5. Economic inactivity due to long-term sickness is up on the quarter at 2.81 million. It has been above 2.7 million for 18 consecutive months since Apr-Jun 2023. ONS, October – December 2024.