The Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) has sounded a serious alarm. They estimate that by 2035, 3.3 million adults in the UK could leave the workforce. Long-term health conditions are at the heart of a frightening long-term trend in the UK. This productivity issue is estimated to be costing the economy £36 billion annually. Without significant improvements in workplace health support, an additional 600,000 individuals are projected to leave the British workforce over the next decade.
Jamie O’Halloran, its senior research fellow, stressed the importance of engaging with employers to tackle this crisis. On this, he said that maximising the potential of employers is key to bringing down economic inactivity and improving the overall employment rate.
To combat these issues, the Health Foundation has proposed a profound change in how employers perceive their contributions to employee health. To fix this situation, we are proposing a national health and employment standard. This standard is intended to achieve consistent minimum health support for every UK worker.
In a comment accompanying the release, RSPH chief executive William Roberts said he was highly supportive of the creation of this national standard. He stated, “We need a fundamental shift in how we see the role of employers in keeping people healthy backed up by a national standard that covers all UK employees.”
The UK government’s response to this challenge is its new 10-year health plan. This effort marks a significant move away from simply treating sickness and toward prioritizing prevention. The plan gives agency to frontline personnel, like general practitioners (GPs) and physiotherapists. Their personalized approach means patients get the guidance and support they need for safe and efficient work return.
Despite these promising initiatives, almost half of the UK workforce is still missing out on this crucial workplace health support. This includes essential services like administering winter influenza vaccination and checking for cardiovascular disease. This independent review led by Sir Charlie Mayfield paints a stark picture about the lack of support available. It aims to make UK-wide recommendations for employers and the UK government on ways to tackle health-related inactivity. The review will focus on the establishment and stewardship of healthy, equitable, inclusive, and safe work environments.
As Clinic’s William Roberts noted, there are serious implications of workplace health on the economy at large. He noted, “The UK’s productivity crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing our economy and long-term health conditions in the workforce are a major factor in this.”
The expected 26% jump in people exiting the labor market for health reasons is terrifying. This number equals the total population of Bristol leaving the labor force! Sam Atwell, the Health Foundation’s policy and research manager, welcomes the moves. These values-infused initiatives not only seek to enhance workplace health standards, they go even further.
Roberts further stressed the importance of investing in employee well-being. “We believe this requires raising the minimum standards of support for employees across all workplaces while helping and encouraging businesses to go further. Investing in staff – especially in line managers – benefits both employees and employers. It improves workers’ health and wellbeing while strengthening the overall health and performance of the business.”