BRITAIN — Sir Charlie Mayfield, a Labour adviser and former John Lewis chairman, issued an update to his Keep Britain Working review calling for a phased introduction of mandatory staff health MOTs overseen by the government.

Mayfield stated that workers should be given health checks when starting new jobs to help tackle Britain's sickness epidemic. He said the UK could learn from countries such as Finland and introduce mandatory health checks when people join companies. Mayfield also said there would need to be strong safeguards over personal data, with assurances that details would not be shared with employers.

"We are strongly encouraging employers to think about developing what we call stay in work plans," Mayfield said. "So rather than just waiting for someone to leave work, you act early, talk to them early, see if you can make some adjustments that allow that person to stay in work while they are getting better." He added: "You wouldn't have to build a single house, you wouldn't have to open a new channel of immigration, you wouldn't have to wait for a cohort of young people to join the workplace. This is basically growth hiding in plain sight."

Why It Matters

The proposal addresses chronic sickness absence through a direct policy intervention. The recommendation for mandatory health MOTs, overseen by the government, seeks to improve workforce health and productivity. By focusing on maintaining employment through early intervention and adjustments, the strategy aims to mitigate the economic effects of chronic sickness absence. The suggestion of learning from other countries indicates an international perspective on tackling these issues.