Employers Must Monitor Workloads to Protect Staff Wellbeing, Says UNISON
UNISON's general secretary Christina McAnea responded to the release of Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working review, which examines the impact of ill health on the workforce.
“It’s in all our interests that workers keep well and are supported back to their jobs should they fall ill or get injured. Prevention is key to stopping staff being signed off in the first place. That means managers providing the right help early on.”
Supporting Disabled Workers
Christina McAnea emphasized the importance of retaining employees with disabilities and called for strong standards:
“A top priority for employers should be keeping people with disabilities in jobs. Robust standards must be introduced to make sure adjustments to their workplaces are suitable and happen quickly.”
Improving Sick Pay to Protect Health
She also highlighted the need to improve statutory sick pay to prevent employees from working while unwell, which could endanger both their health and that of their colleagues.
“Raising statutory sick pay would stop staff from going into work when they’re poorly, risking their health and that of their colleagues.”
Key Recommendations
- Prevent staff absence by early managerial support.
- Introduce robust workplace adjustments for disabled employees.
- Increase statutory sick pay to discourage working while ill.
Author's summary: UNISON stresses that employers must actively manage workloads and improve sick pay to safeguard employee health and support disabled workers effectively.