Employers could be required by law to offer free health checks to staff as part of the government’s push to end Britain’s sick note culture.
Ministers today published a series of proposals to increase the provision of occupational health services in the workplace.
In a carrot and stick approach, they are considering both tax incentives and coercion to persuade employers to do more to care for the long-term health of their workforce.
Certain services, such as eye tests and basic medical checkups, may already be eligible for tax benefits.
One proposal would expand this list so that companies could receive tax incentives for offering certain medical services to staff, such as screening for health problems, flu vaccinations and treatments to reduce absenteeism.
Employers could be required by law to offer free health checks to staff as part of the government’s push to end Britain’s sick note culture
The Treasury has also asked companies whether broader services such as gym memberships and private health insurance should qualify for tax breaks, although it currently has no plans to do so.
A separate consultation with the Department of Work and Pensions suggests that larger companies could be required by law to provide a basic level of occupational health services to staff.
The document cites evidence from countries such as the Netherlands and Japan that require employers to carry out health checks and therefore have ‘higher coverage’ of occupational health services.
The plans reflect growing concerns about the rise in long-term illness and its impact on the labor market.
In a joint foreword to the consultation on tax breaks, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Minister for Work and Pensions Mel Stride warn that there are now 6.5 million people of working age who are neither in work nor looking for a job.
The number of people who are economically inactive due to long-term illness stands at 2.6 million, an increase of 23 percent over the past decade.
The two ministers said: “Usually for every 13 people currently working, one person is on long-term illness. Maintaining employment rates is crucial to ensuring we have enough workers to meet the UK’s future needs and to maximize productivity growth.” The Treasury document states that only 45 per cent of UK workers have access to occupational health services at work – a figure that drops to just 18 per cent in small businesses.
It adds: ‘Better access to quality health services has the potential to reduce productivity losses due to long-term illness and disability in the UK and improve people’s lives by reducing illness and ill health.’ Ministers are keen to reduce the number of long-term sick leave to ease the tight labor market in the UK, which has been blamed on fueling inflation and encouraging employers to look for more migrant workers.