In the UK, we have an ageing population and falling birth rates, which means the number of working-age adults is declining.
Many people are therefore needing to work for longer to make up for the shortfall.
And it is because of our extended working lives, more people in the workforce today - and in the future - live and work with chronic health issues.
Did you know, the Department for Works & Pensions (DWP) reported that 12.8 million working adults in the UK - over 31% of the working population - had a long-term health condition in 2019?
Similar findings were uncovered in 2023 analysis by the Health Foundation’s Real Centre in partnership with the University of Liverpool. The research projected that by 2040, 9.1 million people in England would be living with major illness - an increase of 2.5 million people compared to 2019.
This is an increase of 37%, nine times the rate at which the working age population (20-69 year-olds) is expected to grow over the same period (4%).
Poor employee health costs the UK economy an estimated £138bn per year due to employee absence on productivity at work, according to recent Vitality research - making this a concern not only for people in the UK, but also its employers.
The annual Vitality Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey for 2023 found UK workers lost an average of 6.1 days a year due to formal absence, with the majority of lost working hours due to employees not working effectively as a result of ill-health.
The number of employees living with long-term chronic health issues will continue to grow as our population ages, meaning there will be a greater need for health and wellbeing support from employers.
Here are 4 ways employers can support employees with chronic health issues:
1) Access to training or reskilling
“A change is as good as a rest” as they say - and for employees living with long-term chronic health issues, this could be a real game changer at work.
By giving workers the opportunity to expand their capabilities and learn additional skills through training, it offers team members with chronic health issues the chance to either move into another area of the business, or change roles to better accommodate their condition.
Not only will employees grow professionally - which will benefit an organisation from renewed skills - employees will continue to feel comfortable and capable in their role and remain in the workforce for longer.
2) Private healthcare
Hospitalisation insurance is currently in high demand for UK workers, with 59% of workers wanting this in 2024.
Similarly, as concerns around the availability of NHS healthcare continue to intensify, more than half of the UK workforce (51%) want access to private healthcare via their workplace.
By offering specialised healthcare benefits and private healthcare, organisations are able to cater to not only the needs of employees living with long-term chronic health issues, but the wider workforce too.
3) Flexible Working Act
The Flexible Working Act came into effect on April 6 2024, and will greatly benefit the needs of employees with chronic health issues.
Flexible working arrangements enable employees of all age, gender, disability or location to continue in the workforce, opening them up to both employment and promotion opportunities regardless of their situation.
Embracing the Flexible Working Act is about so much more than just compliance, however. To ensure employees reap the benefit of the act, organisations need to cultivate a work environment that promotes employee well-being, inclusivity and productivity.
If an employee is living with a chronic long-term health condition, they will greatly benefit from this flexibility, as they will be able to manage their health condition while continuing to work - which will hopefully have a positive impact on their mental health in the process.
Employers do have the final say about flexible working arrangements, but by catering to the flexible working requests of employees will position a business as an inclusive and caring place to work.
4) Create a wellness action plan
To help facilitate open dialogue between employers and employees living with chronic health issues, both sides can collaborate on creating an effective wellness action plan (WAP).
The personalised and practical tool encourages regular reviews and meetings between employers and employees, providing organisations with the opportunity to proactively address any early warning signs for employees that may be struggling, as well as ensuring adjustments are regularly reviewed.
WAPs ensure employees are fully supported in their role and that employers make all necessary and reasonable adjustments to help employees thrive at work.
In conclusion
Employees need to feel their mental and physical wellbeing matters, and to do this, they need to be supported by their employer, as well as provided with available tools to support them.
This is why facilitating an environmentally safe and healthy workplace, one that acknowledges employees’ mental and physical health needs, cannot be ignored today.
By managing the health needs of employees living with long-term chronic health issues - and the wider workforce - this will increase employee retention and attract the skills of prospective employees.