Morning, Thursday, 3rd September 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for supporting health in the workplace. The agenda will look at implementation of the Keep Britain Working review, the Healthy Working Lifecycle framework and Vanguard Phase, return to work pathways and employer support, health system co-ordination, and workforce implications of the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Following publication of the Government's Keep Britain Working: Final report and as measures continue to be implemented under the Employment Rights Act, it will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss how proposals aimed at reducing economic inactivity linked to ill health can be taken forward in practice, alongside key issues for implementing new employment rights and the future strategic approach for delivery.
Attendees will consider what is likely to be needed to translate policy intent into practical changes in workplace support, including in the context of the Government’s ambition to increase the UK employment rate to 80%.
Return to work, employer responsibilities & SME support
The agenda considers practical options for supporting faster recovery and return to work. This includes workplace approaches to promoting health, and the Keep Britain Working: Final Report’s emphasis on closer collaboration between government, employers and health services.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- return to work: workplace approaches to promoting health - the growing role of employers in ill health prevention and retention - delivery challenges including cost, enforcement and professional integration
- sufficiency of existing support: guidance, advisory services and links to health provision - addressing cost, capacity and administrative pressures across different organisation types
- SME support: reasonable adjustments - rehabilitative support - managerial training
- NHS health checks: implementation practicalities - uptake and integration - employer capacity and data handling - assessing effectiveness in identifying health risks and informing preventative support
Healthy Working Lifecycle framework, Vanguard Phase & system co-ordination
Discussion will look at the role, remit and early lessons learned from the Government’s work and health Vanguard Phase, including the practical experience of participating employers, and how this might inform proposals for a Healthy Working Lifecycle framework and a potential future national employer standard.
Areas for discussion include:
- the Vanguard Phase: questions around effective integration of clinical and allied health expertise - tensions between emerging voluntary standards and statutory duties under the Employment Rights Act
- health system co-ordination: frameworks for employer collaboration - latest evidence and data from work and health support services - expansion of Connect to Work
- fit note reform: recently launched pilots, including through the WorkWell sites and major employers- primary care capacity, administrative burden and funding allocation
- neighbourhood health centres: improving return-to-work pathways - enabling more integrated and accessible support
- governance and delivery: resourcing and cross-sector co-ordination - lessons from previous UK initiatives and international case studies
- health data: linking clinical and employment outcomes appropriately and effectively - potential implications of emerging health data infrastructure and services
Employment Rights Act 2025, employer duties & workforce inclusion
Further sessions will consider duties placed on employers by measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 - including changes to Statutory Sick Pay and other day‑one employment rights - and their potential implications for the workforce, employers and the wider economy.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- disability support frameworks: the Right to Try Work Guarantee - interim findings of the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment - Alan Milburn’s Young People and Work review
- standards and enforcement: consistent application of standards and employer support - preventing widening inequalities in job quality and retention - enforcement priorities to keep pace with reform
- cost and compliance: mitigating cost impact and administrative burdens from changes to Statutory Sick Pay - proportionality for reasonable adjustments
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department of Health and Social Care; Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade; Department for Work and Pensions; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for the Economy, NI; Health and Safety Executive; HM Prison and Probation Service; HM Revenue and Customs; Home Office; UK Health Security Agency; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
