Stay tuned for our next LIVE event in May 2024
Prevention is a strategy for success
Tom Hoosen-Webber, Bupa UK’s Chief People and Procurement Officer advises
“Protecting the health of your people has never been more important.
Record numbers of Britons are dropping out of the workforce because of poor health, more employees are living with chronic illness and wait times for healthcare are getting longer.”
And these challenges will persist. Earlier this year, the Resolution Foundation warned, “The UK is facing a longer-term, and more widespread, rise in economic inactivity due to long-term sickness.”1
Economic impact
The implications are alarming. A recent report by the Institute for Public Policy Research warns that good health is “a crucial determinant of our economic prospects, both at an individual and a national level”. 2
It calculated that lost earnings due to long term sickness cost the UK economy £43 billion in 2021, equivalent to around two per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). And that lost production took another £7 billion out of the economy.1
Tom also says,
“As more people drop out of the labour market, or reduce their hours, this will also add to the pressure on businesses seeking to recruit and retain talent."
Understanding the issues
Meeting this challenge will require a deeper understanding of the issues driving poor health, workplace interventions to support employee wellbeing, and putting strategies in place to help people with long-term illness stay in work.
The latest Office of National Statistics (ONS) data shows, there are now 2.5 million people not in work due to long-term health problems — a 25% jump since the beginning of the pandemic.1
But the data also shows where support can be targeted most effectively. The biggest rise, 41%, was seen in ‘other conditions’ - some of this is likely to be Long Covid as this was not captured separately.2
However, this is likely to rise, as these figures reflect what was happening early in the pandemic, and it’s estimated that 1.3 million people in the UK have Covid-related health issues which have persisted for at least a year.6
The most commonly reported challenges are fatigue, difficulty concentrating, muscle pain and breathlessness — which all undermine the ability to work and perform well.
This was followed by musculoskeletal issues affecting the back or neck which rose by 31%.4
Tom adds,
“It’s likely that working from home has contributed to this as many employees do not have a dedicated work-space and ergonomically sound set-up.”
Mental health challenges
There has also been a 22% rise in the number of people not working due to long-term mental illness.4
ONS data showed that younger people have been disproportionately impacted with a 24% increase in mental illness, phobias and nervous disorders in 16 to 34-year-olds4, and these levels of distress are likely to continue.
Research for the Children’s Society suggests one in six school children has a mental health problem.6
NHS Digital data shows that almost a quarter (22%) of young adults aged 17 to 24 now has a probable mental health condition.7
Recent research from University College London found that a third of adults (34%) aged 46 to 48 have multiple chronic health problems.9
Tom says,
“Our ageing population is another ongoing challenge. Illness is an inevitable part of ageing and a significant proportion of the labour market now has at least one chronic health condition.”8
Illness and ageing
But while illness is an inevitable part of ageing, lifestyle choices such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of activity and obesity all hasten this process — and with it the risk of people dropping out of the labour market.
Tom says,
“The continuous rise in rates of obesity is clearly a factor driving the increase in long-term illness. Two-thirds of adults in the UK are now overweight or obese.10 A recent study published in The Lancet study linked obesity with an increased risk of 21 major diseases.11
These health problems are often interconnected, and obese individuals tend to develop a cluster of two or more different conditions — and this is bound to increase the likelihood of early retirement due to poor health.
There is also a clear link between obesity and depression, with low mood associated with a 58% increased risk of weight problems, and people with obesity having a 55% increased risk of depression.12
Even modest weight loss can yield meaningful benefits, so there is a clear incentive for employers to promote and support healthier lifestyles. Screening and regular checks also ensures the early diagnosis and treatment of any potential issues.”
Support reduces risk
Tom says,
“We know that providing the right employee support reduces the impact of mental ill-health, musculoskeletal problems, obesity and many of the health issues driving the rise in long-term illness.”
And the ONS data should be a wake-up call as the largest relative rise in long-term illness (42%) was seen in those aged 25 to 34 — an important age when many are more seriously planning, starting and establishing their careers.4
Tom concludes, “the dividends in terms of talent retention, better engagement and increased productivity underline the strong business case for taking a proactive and preventative approach.”
Resources and guides
Get help with work-related stress
Life can be stressful. At Bupa, we’re here to help you manage stress in a healthy way. We offer guidance and support if you're struggling.
Is your team burnt out or busy
Explore the differences between burn out and being busy and how this might affect your team at work.
1 L Murphy & G Thwaites (PDF, 4.0MB), Post-pandemic participation: Exploring labour force participation in the UK, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the decade ahead, Resolution Foundation, February 2023.
2 Thomas C, Jung C, Statham R and Quilter-Pinner H(PDF, 1.6MB), Healthy people, prosperous lives: The first interim report of the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity, IPPR, Page 5, April 2023.
3 Thomas C, Jung C, Statham R and Quilter-Pinner H (PDF, 1.6MB), Healthy people, prosperous lives: The first interim report of the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity, IPPR, Page 29, April 2023.
4 Office for National Statistics (ONS), November 2022.
5 Office for National Statistics (ONS), March 2023.
6 The Children’s Society
7 Newlove-Delgado T, Marcheselli F, Williams T, Mandalia D, Davis J, McManus S, Savic M, Treloar W, Ford T. Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2022. NHS Digital, Leeds.
8 Gov UK, Chapter 3, September 2018.
9 Centre for Longitudinal Studies (UCL), July 2021.
10 Cancer Research UK, March 2019.
11 Body-mass index and risk of obesity-related complex multimorbidity: an observational multicohort study DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(22)00033-X
12 Obesity and Depression: Its Prevalence and Influence as a Prognostic Factor: A Systematic Review DOI: 10.30773/pi.2020.0099
