Employer engagement 'helps sick employees return to work'

Employer engagement is a key area that must be addressed when helping long-term sick employees return to work, the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) has stated.

Research by the IES has found a number of key areas where there remains inadequate support for such individuals, with “key” areas to be addressed including the need for increased employer engagement and involvement of healthcare professionals.

One in fourteen individuals of working age (2.7m people) are out of work and claiming incapacity benefits due to ill health in England and Wales. Of these individuals, two out of every five have mental health conditions, with one in five suffering from musculoskeletal conditions and a tenth having a circulatory or respiratory condition.

However, the report continues, some employers continue to hold negative attitudes to potential employees who have claimed incapacity benefits for longer periods of time.

The analysis within the report for the Improving Health, Increasing Employment Partnership in Birmingham and Solihull was based on national data and a survey of UK-wide programmes.

Its conclusions include a numbers of barriers that can faced by claimants of incapacity benefits who wish to enter employment, including a lack of up-to-date workplace skills, caring responsibilities and the length of time out of employment.

It has also highlighted problems regarding the value of in-work support after such individuals begin employment.

The findings of the IES report come shortly before the implementation of the Welfare Reform Act 2007, which is due to be brought into force on 27 October.

This Act has itself been designed to change the way incapacity benefit and income support is awarded, aiming to encourage people with health conditions to return to the workplace.

Employee health provider PMI has previously carried out research into preparations being made for the Act. Speaking to Workplace Law Network on the likely impact of the Act on employers, Managing Director Richard Munroe previously said:

"With the Government aiming to reduce the number of people claiming Incapacity Benefit by one million, businesses could be obliged to make return-to-work adjustments to cater for the corresponding increase in the number of disabled people returning to work, such as agreeing to more flexible working hours or adapting office equipment, to satisfy the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)."

The Department for Work and Pensions has produced Green Paper, No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility, available here>>