60 second guide: to the government's Health and Work Service

In an attempt to assist employers tackle sickness absence more effectively, the government is in the process of rolling out a programme of healthcare reforms. Central to this programme is the establishment of a Health and Work Service (HWS). The HWS will provide free occupational health advice and support to employers, employees and GPs focused on ensuring that those with health conditions stay in work, or return to work from sickness absence as soon as possible. Government research showed that less than half of the UK's workforce has access to professional occupational health services. For many SMEs the cost proves prohibitive. There are two elements to this new service: - An optional assessment – once the employee has reached, or is expected to reach, four weeks of sickness absence, they can be referred by their GP (or, potentially, their employer) for an assessment by an occupational health professional. Following this assessment, an individual 'return to work' plan will be prepared, designed to get the employee back to work as soon as possible. - Advice – employers, employees and GPs will also be able to access help and advice via a phone and web-based support service. The HWS was launched last month and will be rolled out regionally throughout 2014 with the intention of having a full national service operational by April 2015. The government will also introduce a tax exemption of up to £500 a year for each employee receiving medical treatments recommended by the HWS (or an employer-arranged occupational health service) as an incentive to employee involvement. It is proposed that the HWS will be partly funded through the abolition of the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Percentage Threshold Scheme, whereby employers with higher than average levels of sickness absence can currently recover a percentage of SSP from the HMRC. The Department of Work and Pensions has predicted that, when fully operational, the HWS will save UK employers £70 million a year and reduce levels of sickness absence by up to 40%. It remains to be seen whether, given the optional nature of these assessments, these ambitious targets will be met.