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.
