Health support needed to tackle joblessness | Unemployment

The alarming increase in economic inactivity highlighted in your report (UK sinking into unemployment epidemic, warns Tesco boss, February 10) highlights a public health problem as well as an economic one. It is increasingly clear that millions of working-age people are leaving the workforce not by choice but because of long-term health problems and inadequate support systems around them.

Addressing unemployment requires proactive, health-focused approaches that help individuals stay in or return to work. We also know that absences from work are corrosive. Good quality work improves physical and mental well-being, provides income, social connection and purpose, and protects against social exclusion.

Workplace health should be a key part of this support, including early intervention for chronic conditions and stronger partnerships between health services, employers and employment support agencies. Evidence shows that people on sick leave struggle to find work without specific support and system reform, and health-related unemployment will continue to grow.

Employers also have a role to play in integrating high-quality health support into workplaces and making reasonable adjustments to enable people with health conditions to participate fully. Only by combining health-focused return-to-work initiatives and economic opportunities can we reverse the trend of increasing inactivity and help people realize their potential.
Nick Pahl
General manager, Occupational Medicine Society