The CIPD has called for employers to better support employees with Long Covid to return to, or stay in, work. But insurers like ourselves are already providing this support to many employers and employees.
The key is for us as an industry to raise awareness of this. When specialised support services are used, the results speak for themselves. To date, we’ve enjoyed a 59 per cent return-to-work success rate for individuals making use of our long Covid support service. This comes at a time when a quarter of UK employers say that long Covid is now one of the main causes of long-term sickness absence, according to new research from the CIPD.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling for long Covid to be recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 to give workers access to legal protections and compensation. While long Covid remains out of the auspices of the Equality Act 2010, there is no official onus on employers to consider reasonable adjustments to help people stay in, or return to, work. Indeed, a recent report in the FT suggested that people were dropping out of professional jobs ‘because HR policies were too prescriptive to support those who needed to work on a gradual basis and might suffer relapses’.
“Although everyone is still learning about long Covid, evidence so far suggests that it could indeed meet the definition of disability. An estimated 1.3 million people living in the UK are living with long Covid, according to latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Two in five (42 per cent) first had (or suspected they had) Covid-19 at least one year previously. And nearly two in three (63 per cent) report their ability to undertake their day-to-day activities had been ‘limited a lot’.
“However, rather than trying to figure out if an employee’s condition is a disability, it’s probably a good idea for employers to focus on the reasonable adjustments they can make now. Especially considering the government’s concerted push for employers to help people with a disability or long-term health condition stay in work and enjoy good work.
“Group income protection providers can help greatly here. Indeed, Legal & General was the first in the market to introduce a Long Covid support service. This kicks in following an absence of 4 to 6 weeks, thereby filling a void in NHS services, which are only accessible from 12 weeks onwards. The service, which includes up to eight hours of bespoke therapy and rehabilitation sessions, is designed to capture as many people as possible, providing a level of support at an early stage that is clinically appropriate.
“Meanwhile, support with early intervention and return to work is also available to HR and Line Managers in the shape of L&G’s Be Well helpline – this includes recommendations or suggestions for workplace adjustments. The helpline affords direct access via phone to the insurer’s in-house team of vocational clinical specialists – with backgrounds ranging from nursing, occupational health, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.”
Vanessa Sallows is claims and governance director at Legal & General UK Protection