When disabled employees leave work at twice the rate as non-disabled ones, we welcome today’s review that correctly diagnoses the solution to retention as one of prevention. It recognises that without sufficient support from employers, disabled people can quickly fall out of work against their wishes. This report correctly emphasises the responsibility of employers to take decisive action. 

We welcome the fact that this report addresses the issue of fear of disclosure and acknowledges that this is a community-wide approach. It has highlighted the existing work of mayoral authorities, who are key to this process. 

Collating examples of best practice and improving benchmarking through a Healthy Working Lifestyle standard and a Workplace Health Provision (WHP),  a service to support employees and line-managers, is a welcome recommendation.  Most importantly, creating a Workplace Health Intelligence Unit (WHIU) to provide evidence on targeted incentives should be encouraged.

We have previously recommended that super-deducting occupational health or providing tax relief of 110% on investments in workplace health, would go even further - supporting employers, and turning the delivery of reasonable adjustments and interventions into an incentive for action. We have previously calculated that such measures would generate a fiscal return of £2.50 for every £1 spent.

We would have like to have seen more emphasis in the report on the importance of Access to Work, and how we improve wider structural challenges such as our poorly designed welfare system. Overall, we welcome the intent and recommendations of this report and we hope that we see decisive action taken as a result, over the course of this Parliament.