Employers and wellbeing experts back Keep Britain Working review as fiscal pressures mount

"Leading employers and workplace wellbeing experts have urged the government not to sideline employee health and productivity reforms, warning that rising unemployment and growing fiscal pressures make action more urgent than ever. At a meeting of the Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing on 21 November - chaired by Gethin Nadin and led by renowned psychologist Professor Sir Cary Cooper - participants agreed that the recommendations in Sir Charlie Mayfield's recent Keep Britain Working review must be rapidly converted into policy and practice."

"Speakers drew parallels between Mayfield's review and Cooper's own 2008 Mental Capital and Wellbeing Review, noting how little progress has been made in embedding wellbeing into business strategy despite a strong evidence base linking employee health to productivity, retention and economic performance. The group warned that the UK risks repeating historic mistakes by treating wellbeing initiatives as optional extras rather than core productivity drivers, especially at a time when employers are already facing rising taxes, labour market instability and soaring energy costs."

"Experts said frameworks for measuring wellbeing, modern internal surveys, standardised reporting processes and support for SMEs were essential. Smaller firms, which employ the majority of the UK workforce, often lack the tools and resources to manage health and wellbeing strategically. Participants also stressed that ownership of wellbeing cannot sit solely within HR or compliance teams."

Leading employers and wellbeing experts urged the government not to sideline employee health and productivity reforms amid rising unemployment and fiscal pressures. A Policy Liaison Group called for rapid conversion of Sir Charlie Mayfield's Keep Britain Working recommendations into policy, noting unemployment at 5%. Parallels with the 2008 review showed little progress embedding wellbeing into business strategy despite evidence linking employee health to productivity, retention and economic performance. Experts identified a lack of infrastructure, measurement frameworks, standardised reporting and SME support. Wellbeing ownership must sit across leadership and management, and promotion of emotionally intelligent managers supports psychologically safe, high-performing workplaces.

Read at Business Matters