October 8th, 2019.


Sickness absence costs employers around £9 billion per year. The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Work and Pensions have published a consultation seeking employers' views on how they can best reduce the significant numbers of people that leave work each year for health reasons.

When someone has a period of time off work due to ill-health, it can have a negative impact on business and on the   individual concerned. The proposals in the consultation aim to make it easier for employers to support any staff members who are managing health conditions at work or returning from sickness absence.

The proposals include:
• Making legal changes to encourage employers to take early action in a period of sickness absence
• Reforming Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
• Improving access to occupational health
• Improving employers’ and self-employed people’s access to good advice and support


For more information and guidance on these topics, visit www.gov.uk