Tim Ablett, chief executive of FirstAssist, says there are a number of measures Gordon Brown could take to tackle the 2.7m UK employees on long-term sickness, and “put work back at the heart of society." These include:

· Tax relief for companies who reduce absence rates or penalties for companies with poor records.
· Employers should offer employee rehabilitation services for all incidents, not just in the work place, without negative tax implications for the employee.
· Employers should be encouraged to provide occupational health services for families of employees and not just employees themselves. Illness in the family is a major cause of absenteeism.

The 2025 Insurance Times Awards took place on the evening of Wednesday 3rd December in the iconic Great Room of London’s Grosvenor House.

Hosted by comedian and actor Tom Allen, 34 Gold, 23 Silver and 22 Bronze awards were handed out across an amazing 34 categories recognising brilliance and innovation right across the breadth of UK general insurance.
Many congratulations to all the worthy winners and as always, huge thanks to our sponsors for their support and our judges for their expertise.