Announced last week (11 July), the Back to Work plan confirms Labour’s manifesto pledge of tackling economic inactivity, focusing on three ‘pillars’: a new national jobs and career service; new devolved work, health and skills plans for economically inactive people; and support for for all people aged 18 to 21.
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said that immediate action had to be taken to get people back to work: 9.4 million people in the UK are now economically inactive (neither in work, nor seeking it) according to official figures, with a record 2.8 million signed off work for long-term sickness.
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Angela Matthews, director of policy and research at the Business Disability Forum, told HR magazine that the charity was encouraged to see work, health and skills all considered in the government’s plan.
“When someone becomes unwell or disabled, they can lose skills and have to regain or learn new skills, which can lead to an entire change of career or job options. A supportive and appropriate welfare system to ‘catch’ people while this happens before they return to work is essential,” she said.
The Institute for Employment Studies, a think-tank for economic and business policy, has likewise welcomed Labour’s approach.
“The Back to Work Plan is a positive step in Labour’s mission to unlock the potential of all UK employees,” said Zofia Bajorek, research fellow at the IES.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “The UK has slipped from having the eighth highest employment in the developed world to the 15th, and so this focus on economic activity, good work and understanding the causes of worklessness should be welcomed.”
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The area of greatest need, Matthews added, was in the NHS.
“We need to see an NHS that supports disabled people to stay in work,” she said.
“The people who have the least support are employees in work who become disabled through sudden or gradual ill health, and who are on long-term sick leave – sometimes for a few years – on full pay from supportive employers who are holding up an NHS and sick pay system that is not fit for purpose.”
Matthews added that while Labour’s commitment to removing the waiting days and lower earning limits for sick pay was much-needed, the most urgently needed reform was making sick pay part of a return phased to work for managing long-term health conditions.
“At the moment, this element of sick pay is prolonging absences. People who choose to do a phased return as part of their recovery often report a period of financial loss, directly due to not being able to combine sick pay and salary during a phased return,” Matthews said.
The government has not yet made clear any details on whether it would consider a phased approach.
“Overall, we really want to see the government consulting with employers before major policies and legislation are announced,” Matthews added.
“Employers and HR too often get blamed for not doing enough in this space, but they know the issues first hand and can often see the solutions as well as the unintended consequences of well-meaning policies.”
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Bajorek likewise called for collaboration between employers, government, and people who would be affected by any policy: “The plan can only be achieved through collaboration and partnerships between all the relevant stakeholders, ensuring that employment services offer actual support and advice – not benefit compliance – closer integration with careers and skills services, and ensuring that employers have the ability to promote ‘good work’ so that employees can be supported, developed and valued in the workplace.
“It is vital that those with disabilities, or who have been out of work for sometime (for whatever reason) are not subject to employer negative attitudes, stigma, or inflexible work practices that can be common barriers to work.”
Matthews added: “As supportive and energised as we are of the approach to combine work, health and skills, we feel the lack of a consultation on this plan was a missed opportunity for the government to tell employers that they are being asked and listened to.”
