Occupational health: a holy grail for growth?

When Richard Partington, senior economics correspondent at The Guardian, opened our joint fringe event (on 28 September), he pointed out there are nine million people currently economically inactive in the UK.

He said he believed this to be damaging to society, as well as the economy. Yet he felt the issue gets to the crux of the UK’s current economic difficulties. Why are so many people falling out of the labour market?

Richard was chairing a panel made up of:

• Sir Charlie Mayfield – Leader of the Government’s current Keep Britain Working Review
• Sasjkia Otto – The Fabian Society, Senior Researcher
• James Murphy – IOSH, Director of Marketing, Policy and Insight
• Joe Donnelly – Unison, Head of Safety and Health
• Nick Pahl – CEO of the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM).

The discussion highlighted a new IOSH report, Fixing sick Britain, which brings together 18 organisations and occupational health (OH) experts. The report considers how good occupational health and safety (OSH) can help people return to work, remain in good work and stay in good health.

Debating points

Here are some of the highlights of what was said at the event and who said it:

Sir Charlie Mayfield

“This is huge number” - on quoting the fact one in five people of working age are either not working or not looking for work.

“This problem is as much about economic growth as welfare, so it’s important employers are fully engaged” – on the UK’s current high level of economic inactivity.  

“It’s a nasty issue, where people who don’t work get sicker.”

“Some employers are doing great things on OH, not through altruism but because they see that it’s good for business.”

“Prevention is the way forward. This must start with leadership and culture if we’re to get anywhere and it needs the engagement of OSH specialists, or GPs. But we can’t be too prescriptive about the process. Everyone needs to embrace the complexity of the issue and come together to work things out. Having said that, you have to show that OH works. I’m a big believer in the power of peer support and persuasion.”

“There is a brand issue with OH, a discipline which is seen to be on the side of the employer. OH has to be independent.”

“If the growth we need is to be secured, we have to get the best from all our workers. For example, the expertise and experience of older builders will be key to the Government succeeding on its ambitions new housing targets.”

“Larger employers tend to believe more in the value of OH. We’re all challenged to show that OH works well for business and to have confidence in it.”

“Presenteeism is certainly an issue but it’s complex and there’s more to it than just pulling the sick pay lever.”

“We need to support the role and capabilities of GPs – they can’t do it all but they’re key to finding the solutions.”

Sasjkia Otto

“We have to find a way to stop people falling out of work – 1.7 million people are currently out of work through illness (this figure has risen by 50% since 2010). The emphasis needs to be put firmly on prevention.”

“The causes of worklessness are physical, psychological and social. Everyone has a responsibility to help put this right for workers. We all have to come together to solve this problem. This requires the right infrastructure, and it needs clarity.”

“OH is a bit of a ‘wild west market’. It’s short on qualifications and credibility. There’s a quality issue. We need a minimum set of standards.”

“Working from home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (it has both pluses and minuses).”

“The Fabian Society is calling for an occupational health service, but it knows we need data to show that OH works and also to show where it’s needed.”

James Murphy

“Occupational safety and health (OSH) is about saving lives at work – but this isn’t just about saving workers from death or serious injury; it’s also about helping them to find a state of wellbeing.”

“Seeing young people starting their careers in their bedrooms isn’t great.”

“OH is vital to securing people’s return to work, as is a prevention-first approach. But we need to work hard on proving the return-on-investment.”

Nick Pahl

“You have occupational health (OH) expertise in other countries, notably Turkey, so why not in the UK? There is particularly good provision in the Netherlands as well, for example. The key to their success is reaching out to people as they fall out of work because the stats show that anyone who’s off work for longer than six months is 50 percent less likely ever to return. I know the trade unions are fierce OH champions in those countries that do OH well.”

“We need to work on the universality of OH, as other countries do”.

“Work is good for you, so you have to support those with health conditions (including mental health), and disabilities, by making reasonable adjustments and keeping them in touch with the workplace.”

“The use of sick/fit notes can over-medicalise matters – we need to find ways to support people to stay in work and so stop the flow of people falling into inactivity.”

“OH needs to better demonstrate its return-on-investment (this can be done using AI tools). OH professionals have a key role to play as independent experts.”

Joe Donnelly

“It can’t be right that 300,000 people leave work every year, yet only 45% of workers have access to OH.”

“Yes, this issue is about fairness and dignity for workers, but it’s also very much to do with achieving economic competitiveness. There’s a good opportunity here to embed OH into an economic strategy.”

“A prevention-first approach is absolutely crucial. We need meaningful change and a commitment to protection at work through strong OSH systems.” 

“Are employers doing enough on OH? We need integrated systems and employees’ needs to be understood, addressing issues before people get ill.”

“I know The Fabian Society has called in the past for ‘Good Work Councils’ to bring employers and workers together.”

“Growth will only come if we increase the UK’s low levels of Statutory Sick Pay; if we get a stronger commitment from management to a prevention approach; if workers start to feel they can get OH support; and if there’s greater support for those working in the gig economy.”

“People have to feel they can afford to be ill. Sick pay rates in the UK are very low.”

Call for unity

Richard Partington concluded the event with a call for collaboration and unity:

“This sense that all the different parties need to come together to solve this issue of economic inactivity and low growth is absolutely key. The work of all the many different partners will need to be co-ordinated if we’re to get things right.”