Solutions

Being in good employment is protective of health, while unemployment contributes to poor health. Ill health can also affect people’s participation in the labour market, with costs to the individual, families, communities, employers and public services; combined costs from worklessness and sickness absence amount to approximately £100 billion annually in the UK, presenting a strong economic case for action. 

There is growing evidence on what works to increase employment and improve working conditions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidelines and recommendations on workplace health. This guideline includes new and updated recommendations on: workplace culture and policies; assessing and certifying fitness for work; statement of fitness for work; making workplace adjustments; keeping in touch with people on sickness absence; early intervention; sustainable return to work and reducing recurrence of absence and how to support people with a health condition or disability who are not currently employed. In addition, NICE has produced a guideline on mental well-being at work that includes recommendations on: strategic approaches to improving mental well-being in the workplace, organisation-wide approaches and having a supportive work environment; external sources of support; training and support for managers; individual-level approaches, employees who have or are at risk of poor mental health and those in high-risk occupations; engaging with employees and their representatives; local and regional strategies and plans and considerations for small and medium-sized enterprises (including micro-enterprises).

In Wales, the Healthy Working Wales (HWW) programme aims to support and encourage employers to create healthy working environments, take action to improve the health and well-being of their staff, manage sickness absence well, and engage with employees effectively, all of which can help to achieve a range of positive business and organisational outcomes. HWW offers health advisor support, training events, workshops, information and guidance. The Welsh Local Government Association works with local authorities to assist them meet their health and safety requirements, and provides a broader skills and capacity role including support for development opportunities such as apprenticeships, work placements and graduate schemes and action to engage with and provide opportunities for those who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) and/or economically inactive. Also, the Equality Impact Assessment in Wales Practice Hub is a collective source of information and practice, with resources promoting and supporting the development of good quality, robust EIAs that meet the legal duties of the Equality Act 2010 and the Welsh Public Sector Equality Duties 2011.

During the COVID-19 pandemic it became even more evident that economic insecurity was not evenly distributed amongst the population in Wales, and inequalities widened. A report by Public Health Wales exploring the link between COVID-19 and employment changes in Wales highlighted the issues and identified potential solutions. Promising interventions for different groups included: investing in interventions that offer employment support, career guidance, vocational training and apprenticeships; job creation and job search assistance; education and training; employment protection legislation and more.  

Useful Resources