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<p>The government is exploring a range of policy options aiming to reduce ill-health
related job loss. The consultation ‘Health is Everyone’s Business: Proposals to Reduce
Ill Health-related Job Loss’ closed in October 2019.</p><p>It set out proposals to
boost Government support available to employers to support employees who are managing
health conditions in work and to manage sickness absence more effectively. It included
proposals to encourage employers to take early, sustained and proportionate steps
to support a sick employee to return to work, reform Statutory Sick Pay, improve occupational
health availability and improve the provision of advice and support for employers.
We have received a good response from a range of stakeholders, which we are reviewing.</p><p>
</p><p>We know that being in the right work is good for health and that being out
of work can have a detrimental effect on health. In addition to working with employers
to help individuals get the support they need, at the right time, to return to work,
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a minimum level of income for up to 28 weeks to
employees needing to take time off to recover from short-term illness.</p><p> </p><p>There
is limited evidence to suggest that making the tax treatment more generous is the
most effective way of incentivising more employers to offer occupational health provision,
if the initial cost of provision is the main barrier for them.</p><p> </p>
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