Britain is at risk of an "economic inactivity crisis" as the number of sick and disabled people out of work continues to rise, according to a government-commissioned review led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, the former John Lewis chairman. The report warns that 800,000 more people are now out of work due to health conditions than in 2019, costing employers £85 billion a year in lost productivity, sick pay and staff turnover. Without intervention, a further 600,000 workers could leave the labour market by 2030.
There were 800,000 more people out of work now than in 2019 due to health conditions, costing employers 85bn a year, according to the review by former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield. The problem could worsen without intervention, but Sir Charlie, who will lead a taskforce aimed at helping people return to work, said this was "not inevitable".
"Work can be tough. It's meant to be tough," he said. "Sometimes you're meant to find it hard. You're not meant to ace everything or get everything right. When challenges are dealt with in a supportive environment, they can be a constructive process of improvement. But if you feel criticised and unsupported, you may start to feel anxious or stressed - and the default response is too often a sick note."
