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Businesses out of step with policies on sick and disabled - Workplace Law Network

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Fri, 04/09/2009 - 1:51pm
John
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28 Aug 2009 4:09PM from www.workplacelaw.net click the story to read the comments thus far.

 

Businesses out of step with policies on sick and 

disabled 


According to new research, employers are failing to make adjustments in the workplace to accommodate those with disabilities 

and the long-term sick and many are unaware of Government initiatives to encourage them to do so. 

 

Aon Consulting surveyed over 600 employers, asking them about their attitudes to welfare reform. 

 

The research shows that almost a fifth (19%) of employers admit to not knowing about Government moves to encourage 

employers to promote and report on health and wellness in the workplace. They were also unaware of welfare benefit reforms 

such as the replacement of incapacity benefit with employment and support allowance, and moves to encourage benefit claimants 

to undertake more work-related activity. 

 

63% of employers said they have no plans to amend current sickness and absence benefits, for example by actively promoting 

return-to-work strategies or providing income protection. 

 

From next year more than 2.6 million people currently claiming incapacity benefits will be subjected to new, more stringent work 

capability assessment criteria, with the intended aim of moving those who are deemed able to work back into the workforce. 

 

Matthew Lawrence, Senior Consultant, of Aon Consulting commented: “The protection of an employee’s health, safety and 

wellness is becoming an increasingly important socio-political issue, with employers being expected to shoulder more of the 

responsibility when it comes to keeping ‘sick’ employees in work and out of the benefits system. With employees an employer’s 

greatest asset it is certainly arguable that it is in their best interests to do so from both a financial and corporate responsibility 

perspective. However, particularly during these tough economic times, employers are either not understanding the Government’s 

policy direction or are purposely ignoring this message. 

 

“Long-term, businesses will need to adjust to these circumstances, and indeed changing a company’s approach to sickness, illness 

and absence can provide both short and longer-term benefits. For example, having formal absence processes in place, utilising 

occupational health resource effectively and introducing a wellness programme can very quickly help reduce the number of sick 

days taken by employees as well as helping reduce the number of long-term injuries sustained at work, such as back injuries, and 

increase productivity.”

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Sun, 13/09/2009 - 5:32pm
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anonymous (not verified)
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People with mental health conditions get extra support to stay i

24 August 2009 – People with mental health conditions get extra support to stay in work

Thousands of people with mental health problems will get extra support managing their condition to remain in the workplace, Jim Knight, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform announced today.

Early indications of the government led pilots, run in conjunction with the mental health charity Mind, have shown to be 90 per cent successful in helping people with fluctuating mental health conditions retain their jobs. 

Based on this trial, the Government is now looking to extend the support, with an expectation of rolling out nationally with a range of providers.

Jim Knight, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, said:

"I know disabled people dearly want to stay in work and their employers want to do everything they can to keep good staff. Our plans to offer the right help early on can end the downward spiral of people falling out of work into sick leave, and onto benefits. We are all agreed that helping people stay in work is good news for them, their bosses and for the taxpayer."

Further radical measures introduced by the Government include:

  • Our first ever National Strategy for Mental Health and Employment, for publication in the autumn. The strategy will include expectations of employers, healthcare professionals, organisations and individuals in improving well-being in the workplace.
  • Ministers have also asked mental health expert Dr Rachel Perkins and Paul Farmer Chief Executive of Mind how we can better help people with mental health problems back to work.
  • A new network of dedicated mental health experts across Jobcentre Plus will work together with colleagues in the health system to coordinate support for people who have mental health conditions.
  • A consultation on Right to Control, which will give disabled people, including those with mental health problems, greater choice and control over how public money is spent to meet their individual needs and ambitions.
  • Doubling the Access to Work fund, from £69m to £138m over the next five years - providing practical advice and financial support to disabled people and their employers to help them overcome work-related obstacles resulting from disability.

Fay (29) from London, who took part in a pilot, said:

"The support was great and l wish it had been there when l was previously off sick from work.  I found it particularly helpful in the way it kept me in contact with my employer while I was off – I never felt completely isolated from work.

“I found myself doing things that I normally would have found terrifying.  I wouldn’t have been able to cope on my own and definitely wouldn’t have gone back to work without the support given.  I would recommend this service to others with a similar condition."

Sophie Corlett, Mind's Director of External Relations, said:

"If employers put their mind to it and provide the right support they can keep their staff mentally well and fit for the workplace. People with mental health problems want to work but are often failed by employers who lack the understanding or the skills to provide the necessary support. We welcome the Government's increased investment in mental health, particularly during these difficult economic times, when now more than ever people need the support and understanding of their employers."

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2009/august-2009/dwp029-09...

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