Tackle workplace sickness to unlock hidden growth, former John Lewis boss says
Tackling unemployment linked to long-term illness will unlock economic growth that's "hiding in plain sight", former John Lewis chair Sir Charlie Mayfield has said. More than 250 of the UK's biggest e
Tackling unemployment linked to long-term illness will unlock economic growth that's "hiding in plain sight", former John Lewis chair Sir Charlie Mayf
Read Full Story at BBC Business →Why This Matters
The UK’s economic potential is being constrained by a silent productivity drain—long-term sickness is shrinking the workforce at a time when labour shortages are already throttling growth. By reframing workplace health as an economic lever rather than just a social issue, Mayfield’s argument forces a reckoning with how systemic underinvestment in occupational health has become a drag on GDP. If addressed, this could recalibrate the country’s growth trajectory without relying solely on immigration or capital investment.
Background Context
For decades, the UK’s labour market has operated under the assumption that sickness absence is a cost of doing business, not a fixable inefficiency. The post-pandemic surge in long-term conditions—from mental health crises to musculoskeletal disorders—has collided with an aging workforce and underfunded NHS occupational health services, creating a feedback loop of presenteeism and early retirement. Meanwhile, corporate welfare systems like Statutory Sick Pay remain stuck in the 1980s, offering little incentive for either employers or employees to address root causes.
What Happens Next
The next phase will likely hinge on whether policymakers treat this as a productivity crisis or a budgetary headache—corporate lobbying for tax breaks to fund workplace health interventions could clash with Treasury concerns over short-term fiscal drag. Employers, particularly in sectors like retail and healthcare where presenteeism is rampant, may find themselves under pressure to adopt Scandinavian-style "health-led" workplace reforms, but resistance will come from SMEs already struggling with thin margins. Watch for pilot schemes in high-profile firms to gauge whether private-sector solutions can scale.
Bigger Picture
This debate mirrors broader shifts in Western economies where growth is no longer tethered to raw labour input but to human capital efficiency—countries like Germany and the Netherlands are already integrating workplace health metrics into their industrial strategies. The UK’s ability to compete may depend less on its financial sector and more on whether it can reverse the "sickie culture" that has normalised avoidable absences, a challenge that cuts across Brexit-era labour market fragmentation and the gig economy’s precarious workforce.
