More Than 250 UK Employers Join Government Taskforce on Sickness-Related Work Absences

More than 250 of the UK's biggest employers have signed up to the Get Britain Working taskforce, BBC News reported. British Airways, Tesco, Royal Mail, and several government departments are among the signatories. Sainsbury's, EDF Energy, and Currys have also agreed to take part, along with 10 mayoral authorities including London and Manchester.

The taskforce aims to prevent people dropping out of work due to ill-health and encourage those signed off to return. Official figures show that tackling unemployment linked to long-term illness costs the UK £212bn a year. Companies signed up to the taskforce will track sickness absence, return-to-work outcomes, and disability participation.

Sir Charlie Mayfield stated that many people signed off work for three or six months had no contact with their employer at all. He said this occurs because people do not talk to each other when they really need to. Total welfare spending in Great Britain is forecast to be 23.6% of total government spending in the 2025 to 2026 financial year.

Sir Charlie Mayfield said fixing these problems at the fundamental level could make a big contribution to getting the economy working better for employers, employees, and the taxpayer. He added that this is not a zero-sum game and that everybody can win.

Sir Charlie Mayfield said getting people back into work who are currently not working due to ill-health would boost the workforce without building houses, opening new immigration channels, or waiting for young people to join.