Workplace wellbeing
Date:
29 November 2018
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute has been highlighting the need for more flexible sick pay in a recent report "Too ill to work, too broke not to". The report found that poor mental health costs UK employers up to £42 billion a year - that includes £8bn due to sickness absence from the workplace with self employed people losing another £1bn per year. The report also estimates that 300,000 people with long-term mental health conditions lose their job each year. Recommendations from the report include:-
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Increasing flexibility of SSP to support people who need to reduce their hours
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Implementing the recommendation of the Taylor Review to extend SSP to workers
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Increasing sick pay transparency
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Encouraging the development of simple income protection products
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Employers should signpost employees in receipt of sick pay towards free financial guidance services
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Employment Support Allowance should be brought into line with SSP to avoid financial hardship while unwell
Meanwhile the Health Secretary Matt Hancock was reported to be calling on people to take greater responsibility for their own health, including reducing consumption of alcohol and junk food and stopping smoking.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, dated 18 November, a number of high profile business leaders including Lord Sugar, Paul Keenan (CEO of Bauer Media Group), Dr Shaun Davis (Royal Mail) and Kevin Ellis (Chair and Senior Partner of PwC) called on the Government to prioritise its manifesto pledge to amend the Health and Safety regulations so that work places are required to make provision for mental as well as physical first aid. The campaign for the introduction for mental health first aiders has been building momentum with a petition signed by over 200,000 having been handed in to Downing Street last month.
And finally, if you need clarity on what wellbeing is within the property, construction and building industry then watch our video on how the spaces that people spend the vast majority of their working life impacts their mental, physical and emotional health.
