How occupational health services can boost the economy and benefit your business
As specialist providers of occupational health services, we have seen first-hand the importance of protecting employee health with occupational health frameworks. We work with businesses to provide their employees with ongoing care and regular health checks, which should be a key priority for any organisation, regardless of size.
These proactive measures reduce staff illness, improve productivity and prevent long-term absences, but a recent report from The Commission for Healthier Working Lives details that the UK is not doing enough. Findings reveal that over 300,000 people leave their jobs each year due to poor health, which is costing the economy greatly and resulting in many people leaving the workforce entirely.
The Commission’s report also highlights the need for a long-term focus on occupational health and a complete overhaul of current policy, so let’s take a look at the key recommendations included in the report and how they can benefit both your business and your employees.
The importance of occupational health services
Of the 8.2 million working-age people with a long-term health issue that makes it hard to work, only half are currently employed. Add to this the alarming number of people leaving the workforce every year with health issues, and the fact that they are almost three times less likely to return to work than those in good health, and it becomes clear that we are facing a national crisis.
To tackle these issues and reduce the impact of ill health on the national economy, the report states that the following steps should be taken:
- Protect high-risk sectors: The government should work with industry leaders and health experts to update the best practices for challenging sectors like transport and storage in line with sector-specific challenges.
- Shift to proactive provisions: Current OH support is often reactive and there are few opportunities for early intervention. Instead, the Commission proposes that a national service should be rolled out to provide businesses with protective support, delivered by local caseworkers, to handle any health issues early on and keep people in work.
- Return to work support: Those returning to work after a long-term illness should be supported with ongoing assessments of their work capabilities and assigned activities in accordance with these guidelines. Employers should also be supported with guidance around onboarding and how to provide workplace adjustments.
- Support for onboarding: Workers on long-term sick leave should be given a longer return-to-work period and a 1-year job guarantee to provide a clear route back to employment. All reasonable adjustments must be fully considered, but if a return to work is not possible, then alternative employment options should be provided.
The Commission argues that the national implementation of these suggestions would keep 25,000 people in work every year who would otherwise receive no extra support and have to leave their jobs. This would save the UK economy £670 million annually and result in a total saving of £1.1 billion in just 5 years, so it is clear that now is the time to prioritise employee health and review your own occupational health provisions with the help of our dedicated team.
Our occupational health services
As a leading provider of occupational medicals, our services combine preventative measures with protective ones to keep healthy employees in work and prevent those who are unwell from spreading illness or harming their own long-term health.
It is important to put the relevant protections in place, regularly assess employee health, and to treat sick employees with the care and consideration they deserve. To help businesses do this, we provide a range of occupational health services that support employees throughout their entire time with a company, including:
- Post Recruitment/ Pre-Commencement Medicals: A full physical examination to ensure employees are medically fit to perform their duties before starting their new role.
- Sickness Absence Reviews: An ongoing medical review of an employees’ ongoing sickness to determine their return to work date and to manage their sickness absence.
- Return to Work Medicals: A medical review following a sickness absence to confirm the employees’ fitness for work and to suggest any accommodations required to safely reintroduce them back to the workplace.
- Employee Drug Screening: Regular onsite drug tests, including breath alcohol testing and urine testing, with additional laboratory confirmatory testing.
- Executive Medical Screening: A comprehensive medical screen for busy executives, including a full physical examination and a personalised report.
- Employee Health Surveillance: Regular health screening, including annual medicals, to detect the early signs of work-related health issues and to assess the effectiveness of risk control measures.
The time to act is now, so contact us today to keep money in your business and your employees in work with a bespoke framework of occupational health services.