Health is Everyone’s Business Consultation

Government’s Response to Health is Everyone’s Business Consultation

In 2019 there was a consultation on measures to reduce ill-health related job losses. Amongst other things, it explored ways to increase and retain the employment of disabled people, and to generally increase support for anyone in employment suffering with ill-health. This included some key reforms to the current Statutory Sick Pay Scheme, including allowing it to be paid on a pro rata basis during a phased return to work, allowing it to be paid from the first day of sickness absence, and removing the lower earnings limit for eligibility. It also included a right for employees to request workplace modifications on health grounds.
The government’s response to the consultation was published on 21 July 2021.

  • There will be no implementation of the major reforms proposed to SSP;
  • There will be no implementation of the proposal for a new right for non-disabled employees to request workplace modifications to assist their return from sick leave; and
  • There will be a ‘strategy’ to improve and increase access to occupational health (OH) services, including testing a ‘potential’ new subsidy to reduce financial barriers to OH services.

Our Associate Solicitor Tony Rippon commented, “Disabled employees are amongst the most vulnerable and this seems to be a missed opportunity to improve the SSP scheme and generally improve the ability of working people who suffer with health conditions to remain in employment. Some of the measures proposed could have been very effective. However, the government states that now is not the right time to implement such changes, perhaps with one eye on what is now best for economic recovery and not what is best for vulnerable employees. But with everything else on the government’s agenda, this does beg the question, when will be the right time?”
A strategy to improve access to Occupational Health services might be helpful, but sadly it seems there will not be the increased protection or support for disabled employees we so desperately wanted to see.
If you have an employment matter you would like to discuss with a member of our employment team please call us on 033 3344 9603 or simply email [email protected] with your request.
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