Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Fit for WorkFit for WorkMental health conditionsWellbeing and health promotionWellbeing

MPs recommend business ‘coalition’ to help workers stay healthy

by Ashleigh Webber 18 Feb 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 18 Feb 2020

A group of MPs has recommended the creation of a “Business Coalition for Healthier Lives” to support people stay healthier and remain in work for longer.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Longevity said organisations have a key role to play in keeping the nation healthy, as they have a direct influence on people’s income, work-life balance, mental wellbeing and whether employees can stay in work for as long as they wish to.

The health of the nation: a strategy for healthier longer lives report concluded that poor health is harming productivity in the UK and vice-versa. By improving the overall health of the nation, more people will be able to remain in work and contribute to economic prosperity.

Its suggested that businesses “must be the solution, not the problem” and recommended the creation of a ‘Business Coalition for Healthier Lives’. Those in the coalition would sign up to a “contract” for longer healthy lives, with an annual award programme and kitemark to recognise excellence.

The report said: “Employers’ actions are vital to help people keep in work in their 50s by adopting age-diverse practices, challenging ageism at work, ensuring people can refresh their skills and provide better in-work health support. The Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care need to review their joint health and work policies to deliver this.

“An index or kitemarking system could be developed to show how well a business is contributing to  the health of the nation and become a source of competitive advantage for participating businesses in exchange.”

The report claimed that women, on average, get their first significant long-term illness when they are 55  years old – a decade before the state retirement age.

When it is improperly addressed, poor health causes people to drop out of work, with the report suggesting that men aged 55 to 65 are less likely to be in employment now than in the 1970s.

Although preventable poor health affects every place and every social group, it stated that the effect was greater for the “poorest” people and places.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The report said: “High levels of chronic illness in the North contribute to its lower levels of employment. If the number of working-aged people with limiting long-term health conditions were reduced by 10%, it would increase the economic activity rate by 3 percentage points in the Northern Powerhouse.

“Greater Manchester concluded that the (poor) health of its population and its available workforce was one of the top three barriers to its economic prosperity.”

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
How stopping rudeness in its tracks can make work a safer place
next post
Society launches veganism guidance for employers

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

How to help employees quit vaping before new...

22 Apr 2025

NHS urging people to check for cancer warning...

22 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today