Employers in the United Kingdom must work together to help injured and disabled employees return to work more quickly, according to a report by the London-based Institute of Directors.
According to the report, "Health and Rehabilitation at Work," published by the employer organization last week, more than 7.5% of the United Kingdom's working-age population receives some form of disability or incapacity benefit. And once a claimant has received a benefit for a year or more, the average duration of the claim is an additional seven years, according to the report.
Because the National Health Service is primarily concerned with clinical services and restoring people to good health rather than restoring them to fitness for work, employers and others must take the lead in rehabilitation management and return-to-work efforts, according to the report.
All stakeholders--workforce, employers, insurers, and central and local government--"have a role to play in ensuring that everyone who has the inclination and capacity to do so is actively encouraged to remain in or return to working life," said Geraint Day, health policy analyst at the IoD, in a statement.
The report can be found on the institute's Web site, www.iod.com.