Try harder on occupational health, health secretary tells employers | Health and Safety at Work | Matt Hancock | Prevention is better than cure
Health secretary Matt Hancock has put employers centre stage in the government’s strategy to improve overall health outcomes and said that the UK should emulate the Netherlands’ success in getting people back to work after illness or injury.
Hancock last week launched a new health green paper called Prevention is better than cure, which says that workplaces are an ideal arena for promoting messages on health and that employers should do more to “help improve the health of their staff and the nation”.
The green paper also said that small businesses need better access to occupational health advice, and that “the government will consult next year on measures to encourage and support all employers to play their part in this vital agenda and to improve access to occupational health”.
But in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph given ahead of the launch, Hancock went further, citing successful policies on workplace rehabilitation in the Netherlands and the UK armed forces as examples for employers to emulate.
He described employers as having “an increasingly large role to play in supporting employees when they are not well” but adds that “other countries in Europe are much better than we are at this - at helping people to get back into the workforce.”
Specifically, he mentioned the Netherlands, where he said that companies are penalised if they fail to demonstrate “due diligence” in the rehabilitation process of unwell staff.
He told The Sunday Telegraph that he was “attracted to the model in the Netherlands where employers have more of a role in working with employees who are off sick” and also that “the links between the employers and the NHS and people who are unwell need to be strengthened here.”
“Soldiers have an 85% return to work rate after a serious injury and they have obviously some very serious injuries. The equivalent rate for civilians is only 35% of people managing to get back to work and the lesson from that is that employers need to be more engaged when people aren't well, getting them back to work”
Matt Hancock, Health and Social Care Secretary
Hancock's reference to "penalties" and "due diligence" follow comments made in July by Sarah Newton, the minister for disabled people, work and health, that the government had not ruled out "putting obligations" on employers to provide occupational health support.
Referring to a recent visit to the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre in Loughborough, which helps soldiers get back to fitness after injury, Hancock praised its rehabilitation record.
“Soldiers have an 85% return to work rate after a serious injury and they have obviously some very serious injuries. The equivalent rate for civilians is only 35% of people managing to get back to work and the lesson from that is that employers need to be more engaged when people aren't well, getting them back to work.”
The strategy praises the ongoing trend for employers to contribute to messaging on health, and offer practical support on issues such as “smoking, eating healthily and staying active”.
It says: “Many businesses are already taking action in this space, and see the benefits of higher staff morale, and lower rates of sickness absence. In the end, a healthy workforce is a more productive one. More employers should follow suit to help improve the health of their staff and of the nation”.
The green paper calls on employers to take “early, proactive action … to retain and reintegrate those who are struggling with their health, or who are off sick. Flexible adjustments to the workplace, working hours, or the job itself will also help people to thrive in the role".
One employer highlighted is Rodda’s, a food manufacturer based in Redruth, Cornwall, with 178 staff. As well as the now familiar offerings of free fruit and counselling for staff, it offers a “bereavement and legal service”.
Barclay’s is mentioned as an example of an employer with a proactive attitude to disability and mental health issues, offering a “Workplace Adjustment Passport to enable staff to keep a record of their agreed adjustments and have open conversations as they move through their career”.
However, the paper acknowledges the current gaps in occupational health provision for smaller employers, saying that “occupational health advice to employers helps them achieve this. But we know that many employers, especially small businesses, lack access to this kind of expert advice”.
The
sector has been waiting for new government proposals on a replacement to the service, following the
decision
to wind down the under-used Fit for Work scheme earlier this year.
The Faculty and Society of Occupational Medicine jointly applauded the recognition given to employers' roles in health promotion in the green paper.
In a statement, the two organisations said: "Occupational health services, currently provided by some employers, can prevent work-related ill health, promote good health, and manage health conditions and rehabilitation.
"This promotes employee health and retention in employment. This improves workforce productivity and business performance. We hope that the government will encourage the provision of occupational health services for all the working age population."