Government-appointed back-to-work expert Sir Charlie Mayfield has stated that people off sick from work should maintain phone contact with their bosses. Sir Charlie, who leads the Keep Britain Working taskforce, believes that conversations between employers and employees, rather than just emails and sicknotes, could facilitate a return to work.
His latest report indicates that health-related economic inactivity is costing Britain approximately £212m each year in benefit payments and lost output. Sir Charlie clarified that his focus is on longer-term issues, not short absences like a day or two due to flu or food poisoning.
Sir Charlie noted that Britain is currently doing a "poor job" of managing workplace sickness, leading to disengagement and people dropping out of work. He highlighted that around 300,000 people leave work annually due to health conditions, many of which are preventable. He suggested that fear on both sides – employees discussing long-term health issues and employers causing offence – can create distance, increasing the likelihood of workers leaving the labour force altogether after longer absences.
The report also advocates for increased workplace support for individuals with health conditions and disabilities, alongside the creation of a Workplace Health System to complement the NHS. Sir Charlie added that improving communication is a way to "rehumanise" the workplace and prevent people from dropping out of work entirely.