LRD guides and handbook December 2018

Sickness absence and sick pay - a guide for trade unions and working people

Chapter 1

Employers and managers

[ch 1: page 9]

Employers seem to be getting the latest message. The proportion of recruiting employers taking on someone with a long-term health condition or a self-defined disability doubled from 8% in 2013 to 15% in 2017, according to a Department for Work and Pensions survey cited in Improving lives, the future of work, health and disability. To take this further, the government says it is committed to:

• improving advice and support for employers of all sizes;

• ensuring the civil service is a leading employer;

• increasing transparency;

• reforming Statutory Sick Pay to better support phased returns to work; and

• ensuring that there are incentives and expectations in place for employers.