A rise in the number of people with mental health problems and unexplained health complaints is leading to a serious problem of employees becoming incapacitated for work, warned income protection specialists UnumProvident.
It said six million people are absent from work each day in the UK because of sickness.
The number of people of working age who receive incapacity benefit has increased by 10% since 1995, and now stands at 2.6 million, it said.
UnumProvident has sponsored a new research centre at Cardiff University, which aims to shed light on the increasing incapacity trend, and better understand the psychosocial factors that influence illness, disease, recovery and reintegration into work.
Speaking at the launch of the UnumProvident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, UnumProvident customer care director Dr Peter Dewis said: “The Centre's research will lead to a better understanding of what makes people incapacitated and how to prevent and better support disabling incapacity to help people return to work after illness.
“This will bring benefits to employers, insurers and to society as a whole; but more importantly, it will benefit the individual who is healthier and happier when actively involved in work.”
UnumProvident will invest £1.6m in the centre over a five-year contract.
