UKHospitality Joins Forces With Government To Tackle Ill-Health And Keep Britain Working

More than 60 major and many small employers, including trade organisation UKHospitality are joining forces with the government to tackle the rising tide of ill-health that is pushing people out of work and holding back growth.

The joint effort, developed in response to Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working Review, will drive action to prevent ill-health, support people to stay in work, and help employers build healthier, more resilient workplaces.

Published today, the landmark Review sets out the stark reality facing the UK:

• One in five working-age adults are now out of the labour force – 800,000 more than in 2019 due to health reasons
• The cost of ill-health that prevents work equals 7% of GDP – nearly 70% of all income-tax receipts
• UK employment among disabled people stands at 53%, below leading OECD nations
• Employers lose 85 billion a year from sickness, turnover, and lost productivity
• In response, the government will partner with employers to reshape how health issues and disabilities are managed in the workplace with the launch of employer-led Vanguards.

The Vanguards – including household names such as British Airways, Google, Sainsbury’s, Holland and Barrett alongside Mayoral Combined Authorities and SMEs – are early adopters who will develop and refine workplace health approaches over the next three years to build the evidence base for what works.

They’re committing to embracing the report’s healthy working lifecycle – which aims to reduce sickness absence, improve return-to-work rates, and increase disability employment rates – which the government will work towards developing into a voluntary certified standard by 2029.

It builds on the work the government is doing to give businesses the skilled workforce they need by investing 1 billion annually in disability employment support by the end of the decade – giving people the skills and opportunities to move out of poverty and into good, secure jobs as part of the Plan for Change.

Sir Charlie Mayfield, author of the Keep Britain Working Review, said:
“Britain is sliding into an avoidable crisis. Ill-health has become one of the biggest brakes on growth and opportunity. But this is not inevitable.

“Employers are uniquely placed to make a difference, preventing health issues where possible, supporting people when they arise, and helping them return to work. If we keep Britain working, everyone wins – people, employers, and the state.

“That’s why the action the government is taking forward from my Review is so important. I’m looking forward to working with them and with employers, large and small, to keep people in work, unlock potential and build a healthier, more prosperous Britain.”

To help drive this work forward Sir Charlie Mayfield will co-lead a Vanguard Taskforce with Ministers, bringing together employers, disabled people, workers’ representatives, and health experts.

The Taskforce will work with Vanguards to develop the interventions and build the evidence for what works. This will inform wider reform by identifying what approaches could become part of the future employment landscape and drive adoption.

UKHospitality has been listed as a sector Vanguard, in which it will act as a co-ordinating power for hospitality to work with businesses, input into new policy design and share best practice and insight.

Hospitality businesses interested in joining the Vanguard can help shape national workplace health reform, receive the latest benchmarking and insights, showcase hospitality’s strengths and play a pivotal role in building a healthier workforce. Interested businesses can sign up here.

In addition to work undertaken as part of this review, UKHospitality also highlighted the need for action to reduce the sector’s tax burden at the Budget, which will support its ability to help people back into work.

Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, said:
“People are at the heart of hospitality and are integral to delivering the brilliant experiences that our sector is known for.

“The priorities laid out in the Keep Britain Working Review to go even further to support our teams and develop healthier and more resilient workplaces are the right ones, and I’m pleased that UKHospitality will act as a sector Vanguard to co-ordinate activity, share best practice and drive change.

“This business-first approach is critical in order to utilise hospitality’s unique qualities as an entry point for those coming back into work or starting work for the first-time.

“We know that hospitality is the most socially productive sector in the economy, leading the way in employing part-time workers, access for non-graduates, and spread of jobs around the country. These are the qualities that are critical to tackling ill-health and getting people back into work.

“This approach needs to be taken in tandem with a concerted effort at the Budget to reduce the sector’s tax burden, which is one of the primary barriers to hospitality fulfilling its potential to employ more people and support people back into work.

“Businesses are being taxed out and there needs to be action at the Budget to lower business rates, fix NICs and cut VAT to reduce those costs, which will support high street businesses and the Government’s objective to help people back into work.”