Morning, Thursday, 3rd September 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for supporting health in the workplace, with planned discussion focused on priorities set out in Keep Britain Working: Final report and on measures being implemented through the Employment Rights Act 2025.
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 the approach to implementing new employment rights. 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%.
Workplace health, return to work & cross‑system coordination
Sessions will assess practical options for supporting faster recovery and return to work, including workplace approaches to promoting health and the report’s emphasis on closer collaboration between government, employers and health services.
Discussion will look at early experience of the Vanguard phase - including implications for employers participating - and how emerging initiatives such as the Health Data Research Service and the development of neighbourhood health centres may interact with employer‑led measures. Delegates will also consider what effective practice might look like for using health data appropriately to link clinical outcomes with employment outcomes.
Implementation, employer duties & workforce inclusion
Further sessions will consider duties placed on employers by measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and their potential implications for the workforce, employers and the wider economy, including changes to statutory sick pay and other day‑one employment rights. There will be a focus on workers with disabilities and those with long‑term health issues, alongside related developments such as Sir Alan Milburn’s Independent Investigation into Youth Inactivity and wider policy discussions on supporting participation in the labour market.
The seminar will also assess priorities for effective implementation over time - including governance, resourcing and cross‑sector coordination - and what might be learned from previous UK initiatives and international case studies when considering next steps.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy:
- implementation of proposals in Keep Britain Working: Final report - implications of the Employment Rights Act 2025
- sequencing across the Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Business and Trade and Department of Health and Social Care
- implementation and governance: accountability for cross-government and delivery partners - role of the Vanguard Taskforce - developing practical routes from policy to workplace change
- Vanguard phase: criteria for participation and expectations on employers - scaling up pilots to wider adoption - building transferable learning across sectors and regions
- employer duties:
- reforms to statutory sick pay including payment from day one and removal of the lower earnings limit - reasonable adjustments and enforcement approach
- compliance costs and operational feasibility
- incentives and funding: procurement, rebates and tax-system incentives signalled in the report - priorities for public funding and incentives - affordability and value for money across options
- health services coordination:
- fit note reform and clinical-workplace coordination - role of integrated care boards and local services - implications of neighbourhood health centres in supporting return-to-work
- evidence: workplace health intelligence and data use - linking clinical and employment outcomes appropriately - safeguards, trust and lawful data use
- inclusion and priority groups: addressing barriers for workers with disabilities and long-term conditions - support for fluctuating and energy-limiting conditions - lived experience in design
- youth inactivity: priorities emerging from the Milburn investigation timetable - links between mental health, skills and employment support - local coordination and re-engagement pathways
- working practices: flexible and hybrid working as an access and retention tool - managing productivity and wellbeing expectations - addressing one-size-fits-all approaches in practice
