Addressing Long-Term Illness to Unlock Economic Potential
Sir Charlie Mayfield, former chair of John Lewis, has emphasized that addressing unemployment related to long-term illness could reveal significant economic growth currently "hiding in plain sight."
Over 250 of the UK's largest employers, including British Airways, Tesco, Royal Mail, and multiple government departments, have joined his Get Britain Working taskforce. The initiative focuses on preventing workforce dropouts due to ill-health and encouraging employees on medical leave to return to work. Official data indicates that ill-health related work absences cost the UK economy £212 billion annually.
Despite this, some employers have previously expressed concerns that recent tax increases limit their capacity to invest in such initiatives, while others caution against pressuring ill individuals to return to work prematurely.
Tracking Workplace Health Metrics
Participating companies will monitor sickness absence rates, return-to-work outcomes, and disability participation. The government has stated that this approach will, for the first time, make workplace health performance transparent.
Major UK firms such as Sainsbury's, EDF Energy, and Currys, along with ten mayoral authorities including London and Manchester, have committed to the program.
Insights from Sir Charlie Mayfield
"I can't tell you how many people I've met who said: 'I was signed off work for three months, or six months, and I never had any contact with my employer at all.'"
"That's not because the employer is a bad person. It's because we've got a situation at the minute where people don't talk to each other when they really need to."
Sir Charlie's remarks come amid increasing pressure on Andy Burnham, expected to become prime minister later this month, to reduce the UK's welfare expenditure to reallocate funds.
Government projections estimate that welfare spending in Great Britain will account for 23.6% of total government expenditure in the 2025-2026 financial year.
Potential Economic and Social Benefits
Sir Charlie believes his proposals could contribute to reducing welfare costs.
"Fixing these problems at the fundamental level, could make a really big contribution to getting this economy working better — for employers, for employees, for the taxpayer, for all of us."
"This is not a zero-sum game. It's not a question of employers win and employees lose and vice versa. Everybody can win."
He also expressed confidence that Andy Burnham would support the initiative.
"I can't see any reason why he wouldn't because of what Andy has said about good growth. If this isn't good growth, I'm not sure what is, quite frankly."
Sir Charlie highlighted that reintegrating individuals currently out of work due to ill-health represents a straightforward method to enhance the workforce.
"You wouldn't have had to build a single house, open a new channel of immigration, you wouldn't have to wait for a cohort of young people to join the workplace. This is basically growth hiding in plain sight."
- What needs to change to get more people working?
- Britain sliding 'into economic crisis' over £85bn sickness bill, ex-John Lewis boss warns
