More than 80 per cent of employers recognise their role in helping employees return to work after illness, with nearly 75 per cent confident in their ability to support this process, according to Aviva.
Aviva’s research comes as 2.8 million people remain economically inactive due to long-term sickness. It also coincides with the Government’s launch of its “Keep Britain Working” review.
The findings show that employers are seeking more support to manage the return-to-work process with almost half wanting clearer guidance on accessing services like occupational health, rehabilitation, and wellbeing support to prevent ill-health.
The same number also want financial help, such as tax incentives, to make these services more affordable and a further 43 per cent believe the Government should focus more on public health.
The need for support is particularly urgent for micro-SMEs with over half of businesses with 1-9 employees not having a return-to-work process in place, and three-quarters lacking vocational rehabilitation or occupational health services. In comparison, just 5 per cent of larger employers report similar gaps.
Larger companies are more likely to offer support, with 53 per cent providing occupational health and 26 per cent offering vocational rehabilitation. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of employers agree on the importance of returning employees to work quickly, with 36 per cent already offering wellbeing support.
Aviva sales and distribution director for group protection Jason Ellis says: “The UK is seeing more and more people leave the workforce due to ill-health, and this trend is likely to continue. Employers play a crucial role in addressing this issue, so it’s reassuring to see many companies have processes and support systems in place to help employees return to work and stay there after experiencing health problems.
“However, our research shows a significant variation in the level of support different organisations offer. This highlights the need for the introduction of best-practice guidelines and better education and access to return-to-work support for both employers and employees.
“It’s essential that employers intervene early and that an employee’s return to work is carefully managed. Expectations should be agreed upon and clearly communicated from the start, with progress checked and adjustments made as the employee’s circumstances change. Without a clear, transparent strategy, there’s a risk the employee might have an unnecessary extension of absence.”
