British Government has encouraged employers to take up Occupational Health offers to help employees access vital mental and physical health support at work, particularly for those working in small and medium-sized enterprises.
According to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Thursday published a consultation on ways to increase uptake of Occupational Health provision.
These proposals include introducing a national “health at work” standard for all employers to provide a baseline for quality Occupational Health provision.
Which includes guidance, an option to pursue accreditation, and additional government support services – for example outreach workers to support SMEs to meet the standards.
Reacting to this development, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, said the Government is investing billions in getting people back to work and growing the economy, saying govt need employers to keep playing their part too.
She added that healthy businesses need healthy workers, employers will benefit from higher retention rates, more productive workers, and fewer work days lost due to sickness. “Improving health in the workplace is a vital piece of the puzzle in our drive to increase employment”.
Also, it seeks views on developing longer-term workforce capacity to help meet any increased demand for Occupational Health services in the future by:
Encouraging NHS leavers or those who are considering a career change to pivot towards the Occupational Health specialism. Developing a longer-term, multi-disciplinary workforce to provide Occupational Health services.
While the consultation will also ask employers to share their examples of good Occupational Health provision to help inform other businesses and encourage them to provide the same.