Press Release
Forimmediate release
Wednesday17 September 2003
Government must help remedy thegrowth
in long-term sick, say employers
Rehabilitation mustplay a greater role in halting the rising tide of long-term illness andincapacity in the workforce, a report out today claims. With some 700,000 newclaimants of Incapacity Benefit a year Government and employers must worktogether to help long-term absentees back into work, the report by theInstitute of Directors (IoD) recommends.
The report points outthat, according to Government figures, there are now over 2.7 million people ofworking age claiming some form of incapacity benefit. What's more, once aclaimant has been receiving benefit for a year the average duration of thatperson's claim is an astonishing further seven years.
Geraint Day, HealthPolicy Analyst at the IoD, said:
"The chances ofreturning to regular employment tend to diminish with the length of absencefrom work. There has been no underlying health change to the UK's population toaccount for the growing number of long-term sick and injured.
"The causes aremany and varied, yet the fact is that the numbers add up to great loses: toindividuals, to employers and to the nation."
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A survey of IoDmembers (contained in the report) shows that generally employers are aware ofthe importance of health issues in the workplace. Exactly half of respondentssaid that their company provided an occupational health service for employees,for example. However, employers felt more could be done by other bodies toassist in rehabilitating staff on long-term sick leave.
Geraint Day, said:
"As things stand the lack of an effective NHS rehabilitation service meansthat the onus is currently on employers and individuals to deal with the issueof rehabilitation.
"All thestakeholders, workforce; employers; insurers; and central and local government(especially the NHS) have a role to play in ensuring that everyone who has theinclination and capacity to do so is actively encouraged to remain in or returnto working life."
ends No.198
Notesto editors
1. A copy of the report, Healthand Rehabilitation at Work, is available from the IoD Press Office tel. 0207451 3264.
2. The Institute ofDirectors is a non-party political independent organisation with around 55,000members. In addition to its wide range of business services, the IoD providesan effective voice to represent the interests of its members to government andkey opinion-formers. It also brings the experience of business leaders to bearon the conduct of public affairs
Contact Points:
Richard Taylor, PressOfficer, tel: 020 7451 3264
mobile: and out of hours. 07721 734886
email: press@iod.com
David Marshall,Director of Public Affairs, tel: 020 7451 3263
Mobile: and outof hours: 07764 883420
email:david.marshall@iod.com