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Long-term sickness will be the toughest challenge of 2025

Employers must urgently rethink support for staff with long-term health conditions, writes the CMI's Petra Wilton

The UK is facing a growing crisis of long-term sickness. A rise in chronic health conditions have led to 2.8 million people being economically inactive.

This is rapidly becoming one of the toughest challenges for HR and management in 2025, hitting both employees and the economy hard, as well as piling pressure on health and social care, driving up costs and shrinking the workforce.

Recent analysis from The Times, using ONS data, reveals concerning trends. Young men are now nearly twice as likely to be absent from work due to illness compared to a decade ago. For young women, illness has surpassed childcare as the primary cause of workplace absence.

Employers must urgently rethink support for staff with long-term health conditions, or risk slower growth, reduced productivity and greater strain on our NHS.


Read more: Number of long-term sick set to surge, commission warns


The government’s Get Britain Working white paper calls on employers and managers to play a key role in addressing this crisis. Yet research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) highlights a significant obstacle: nearly half of managers report barriers, such as unsupportive cultures, weak leadership and limited HR support, that prevent them from effectively helping employees return to work after illness.

Too often, policies are reduced to tick-box exercises, with managers, who often represent the most important relationship for an employee, central to bridging the gap between policy and practice. Skilled managers are essential in facilitating necessary adjustments, such as flexible working hours for medical appointments or short breaks, while ensuring that conversations about health are approached with care and compassion.

To make real progress, leaders don’t need to wait for government action, they can take charge by focusing on three key areas: upskilling managers, fostering healthy and inclusive workplaces, and prioritising flexibility at work.

First, employers must invest in upskilling managers, who are on the frontline of supporting employees. Well-trained managers can plan effective return-to-work strategies, make reasonable adjustments, and set achievable goals. Management training should be central to government policy, benefiting both individuals and the economy. Managers with the right skills can navigate sensitive health-related discussions, ensuring that both empathy and business needs are met.


Read more: Sick days up 41% in three years


The white paper’s focus on healthy, inclusive workplaces is timely, especially as toxic workplace cultures continue to make headlines. Trained, supportive managers are key to creating environments where employees – especially those returning from long-term sickness – feel valued and supported. Good management practices are an insurance policy against toxic cultures, helping to address issues early, retain top talent, and prevent discrimination.

Finally, flexibility is essential to encouraging employees back after illness. Our research revealed that 60% of managers consider flexibility critical. While employees now have the right to request flexible working, managers must embrace it as the norm, particularly in SMEs and roles where remote work is impractical. Flexibility should be embedded in the workplace culture, not granted on a case-by-case basis. Employers must proactively offer flexibility, building on lessons from the height of the Covid-19 pandemic that demonstrated businesses can adapt quickly. By making flexibility the default, managers can cultivate healthier, more productive teams.

To tackle economic inactivity, we must empower managers with the skills, support, and tools needed to create inclusive, compassionate workplaces. Policy and legislation alone won’t solve the issue; great managers will be the ones to get Britain working again.

Petra Wilton is the director of policy and external affairs at the Chartered Management Institute