The government has committed to developing a voluntary certified workplace health provision standard by 2029.
This was one of the key elements of the new model to manage and reduce sickness absence recommended in the Keep Britain Working Review today.
Following the release of Sir Charlie Mayfield’s report this morning, the government announced it was committed to embracing the report’s healthy working lifecycle which the government will work towards developing into a voluntary certified standard by 2029.
The lifecycle and provision elements aim to reduce sickness absence, improve return-to-work rates, and increase disability employment rates.
A joint response from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) also committed the government to embedding workplace health as a cross-government priority, which it said directly supported the mission to deliver economic growth and get Britain working again.
“By helping people stay healthy and in work, the reforms will boost productivity and economic growth, create more secure, better-paid jobs across the country, reduce pressure on the NHS by preventing conditions from worsening and lower welfare costs by stemming the flow onto health-related benefits,” the government said.
It added that this coincided with the Pathways to Work employment support package, which will provide intensive support to help sick or disabled people unlock the benefits of work.
