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Department for Work and Pensions
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Minister announces new task force to tackle sickness absence
DWP Minister Lord McKenzie today announced a new vocational rehabilitation task group to help ill or injured people stay in or return to work, and called on employers to do more to support their employees.
175 million working days are lost to sickness absence each year, costing businesses and the economy around £13 billion. Being out of work also affects physical and mental health, and returning to work is often crucial to an individual's full recovery. But very few employers currently offer occupational health or vocational rehabilitation to their employees.
The task group - made up of government, customers, business and insurers - will identify what services are currently available, why businesses do not provide more support, and what needs to be done to increase understanding and ensure wider provision of support services.
Speaking at an event in London, Lord McKenzie said: "One million people take sick leave every week: 3000 of these will not return within six months, and of these 2,500 will still be on incapacity benefit five years later, having lost much of their dignity, independence and involvement with society.
"Rehabilitation is not about forcing people back to work. Work, in fact, is often a crucial step in helping people return to full health. And businesses have much to gain in terms of reduced sickness absence, and improved staff engagement and retention.
"But very few employers offer occupational health or vocational rehabilitation. This task force will identify why this is the case, what barriers are preventing wider provision, and what needs to be done to change this.
"We cannot do this alone - employers must recognise that rehabilitation is not purely medical, but also a management activity, and they must do more to help their employees return to work."
The remit of the task group is to gather and assess data, including costs and benefits, on:
* Existing provision of occupational health and vocational rehabilitation services by employers.
* Reasons why occupational health and vocational rehabilitation services are not provided by employers.
* Incentives which would be successful in encouraging wider take-up of occupational health and vocational rehabilitation services by employers, such as tax relief.
* Methods, tools and products which would support and encourage a wider take-up of occupational health and vocational rehabilitation services.
The task group will publish a report assessing the current position later this year. Next year it will produce proposals for mechanisms, tool and incentives which encourage a wider take-up of occupational health and vocational rehabilitation services by employers, with supporting cost benefit analyses for their implementation.
Notes to editors
* Lord McKenzie of Luton addressed the conference on Monday 18th June 2007 at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, London.
* The event was attended by rehabilitation professionals, employers, employees and insurers.
* The task group is part of the Government's Health Work and Well-being strategy, which was launched in October 2005 and is led by Dame Carol Black, the National Director for Health and Work. It aims to improve the health of the working age population, prevent work related injury or illness, intervene early when health problems arise, and provide rehabilitation support. The strategy is a groundbreaking partnership between Government (Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health, and the Health and Safety Executive), employers, and healthcare professionals. To find out more about the Health Work and Well-being strategy please visit http://www.health-and-work.gov.uk/
* The Government is already providing confidential, practical and free advice to small businesses on management of sickness absence, return to work issues, and workplace health and safety via its 'Workplace Health Connect' service. Further information is available from: http://www.workplacehealthconnect.co.uk
Website: http://www.dwp.gov.uk
