UK Business News

In an effort to reduce the number of people who eventually end up on incapacity benefit, the government is set to review an electronic ‘fit note’ approach which would determine what people could do - so they can return to the workplace - rather than a sick note describing what they can’t which prevents an early return to work.

Currently it is estimated that sickness absence - of all durations - costs the UK economy £100bn a year - very nearly the cost of the NHS.

By increasing numbers returning to work from shorter periods of absence, savings to the UK economy could be enormous whilst increasing the UK’s competitiveness to boot.

Dame Carol Black, National Director for Health and Work feels that people need “the right support,  in the right place at the right time.” She is also keen to see wellness services in the workplace developed to keep employees healthy.

A study by PwC indicates that where these facilities exist employers are seeing up to a tenfold return on their investment in terms of working time not lost to sickness and prolonged absence.  The government has experimented with employment advisers within GP’s surgeries as it is accepted that GPs are not always best placed to determine an individual’s readiness to return to work.

A 1 per cent reduction in incapacity claims would save £10.5m