Our work
The cross-Government Health, Work and Well-being Initiative aims to improve the general health and well-being of the working-age population and to support more people with health conditions to stay in work or enter employment.
The initiative brings benefits to individuals through better health, as well as to employers through improved productivity and reduced sickness absence. It also led to savings for Government through fewer people claiming sickness benefits and reduced health spending.
We work with employers, trades unions and healthcare professionals to deliver:
- healthier workplaces
- more effective occupational health services
- better rehabilitation support
- more employment opportunities for people not in work due to ill health or disability.
We identify and promote good practice
- Gathering case studies – to understand and foster best practice.
- Undertaking and evaluating research – building the evidence base for action.
- Recognising good practice through award programmes – for example, the Healthy Working Lives Awards in Scotland and the Corporate Health Standards in Wales.
We drive change
- Educating individuals and raising awareness.
- Improving the range and capacity of occupational health services.
- Providing practical and effective support for employers – especially small businesses.
- Encouraging public sector organisations to lead by example on health at work.
- Delivering a range of proof-of-concept projects to demonstrate the value of integrating health and employment support.
We work with partners
- Developing initiatives to engage and support healthcare professionals, and in particular GPs, on health and work issues.
- Providing a national focus and cross-government profile for the health, work and wellbeing agenda.
- Bringing partners together in working relationships at regional and local levels.
Current initiatives
- Statement of Fitness for Work – Fit note
- National Educational Programme for GPs
- Healthy Working UK
- Occupational health advice service for small businesses and GPs
- Workplace Well-being Tool
- The Public Health Responsibility Deal
Working for a healthier tomorrow – Carol Black’s Review
Working for a healthier tomorrow, Dame Carol Black’s review of the health of Britain’s working age population, the first of its kind, was published in March 2008. It set out the economic cost of working age ill-health, and delivered a far-reaching range of recommendations to reduce this cost.
Improving health and work: changing lives
Improving health and work: changing lives, published in November 2008, was the Government’s response to Dame Carol Black’s Review and set the direction of travel on the range of current initiatives.
Our research
We have commissioned research and analysis to help build the evidence base on health, work and well-being.