The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) has just released a detailed study on how poor health affects people’s ability to work in the UK.

“The historically high number of people off work long-term sick remains an immediate and pressing concern for the Government,” the researchers explain. “Without investment in occupational health, these figures will continue to get worse.”

Here are some important findings from the study:

1. Long-term sickness has been increasing among women of all ages since 2014. More women are unable to work due to health problems compared to men.
2. Young men between 16 and 24 years old are also facing more difficulties in staying active in the workforce. Many are dealing with mental health issues.
3. Jobs that don’t allow for remote work are more likely to see employees leave their jobs because of long-term sickness.
4. The healthcare system, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has struggled to keep up with treatment, leading to delays and worse health outcomes.
5. The UK has an aging population, high rates of obesity, excessive alcohol use, and a history of smoking. These factors contribute to long-term health problems.

Long-term health issues

To put things in perspective, out of the 41.6 million working-age people in the UK (between 16 and 64 years old), a significant 2.5 million (about 1 in 16) can’t work due to long-term health issues. This is a major concern for the government. More than 11 million people have ongoing health problems that affect their ability to work.

When it comes to mental health, only 2 million out of 4 million people with mental health conditions are currently employed. Almost 60 percent of people who left their jobs in the last two to three years due to health issues had conditions that limited their ability to work.

This study shows that the type of job you have, your gender, and your health condition all affect your ability to get back to work. To address this, providing occupational health (OH) services is crucial. Right now, only half of workers have access to these services, so SOM is calling for better coverage.

More needed

The government has taken some steps, including in the Spring Budget, to support OH services and help people with health conditions keep working. But more needs to be done to keep people healthy at work and reverse these trends. The government is currently seeking input through consultations on OH, and they are also considering tax incentives for occupational health (OH) services, which is a positive development.

SOM hopes that sharing this data will encourage policymakers to work towards universal OH coverage. It’s essential to address these issues so that people can stay healthy and productive at work, which ultimately benefits the whole country.

“We need to understand what the catalysts are, the drivers of fallout, and what factors contribute to preventing people return to work,” the researchers conclude.