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Discover strategies to manage ill health and disability in the workplace effectively, including early intervention, rehabilitation, and supportive return-to-work programs. Learn about statutory sick pay, disability benefits, and guidelines for supporting employment. Explore options for income maximization, including pension choices for ill-health retirement. Understand the importance of promoting health, work, and wellbeing for both employees and employers.
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Managing ill health and disability at work Nicola Lee Adviser RCN Employment Relations and Welfare Rights and Guidance
Overview • Some facts and figures • Effective absence management • Supporting employment • Income maximisation – inc pension options
Lies, damned lies and statistics • Sickness absence costs UK plc £12 billion each year • Equivalent to £495 for each employed earner (direct costs) • £3 million per year in NHS • 9.6 million disabled people (DDA definition) – 15% of population • 1 in 4 households affected by disability • 70% develop impairment in working age • 21% of people with mental health problems are employed
Absence management – the usual route? • Problems at work – unreported or unresolved • Goes off sick – rings in and leaves a message • Sends sick note • No other communication • Trigger point passed – ref to OH (if you’re lucky) and summonsed to meeting with management at short notice • Or no contact until sick pay ends • Embattled and negative experience all round
Absence management- a better route? • Early intervention – may prevent absence? • Ref to OH within 2-8 weeks • Priority treatment? • Regular and appropriate communication • Case conference style meetings • Phased return to work • Rehabilitation • Redeployment • Supportive, empowering and solution focussed
Guidance and guidelines • For NHS – AFC handbook – Section 14 and Annex Z • DoH “Blue book” • NICE – recommended practice, proven to be cost effective
A word on sick pay • Contractual - entitlement should be written in policy/staff handbook/etc… • Statutory Sick pay - • paid after 4 day’s absence regardless of contractual entitlement • component part of full pay, usually paid on top of half pay • 28 weeks (currently £79.15 per week) • Linking period = 8 weeks • Transfer to Employment and Support Allowance • SSP – Leavers’ statement form
Supporting employment • Early intervention - priority treatment • Communication and co-operation • Rehabilitation • Phased return • Redeployment • Reasonable Adjustments Utilise internal and external expertise
Access to work • Government money to support disabled people in work • Adjustments and adaptations • Travel to work • Coaching and occupational psychology support • Support workers • Accessed through local JobCentre Plus office – Disability Employment Adviser • Employer contribution expected if existing member of staff – but negligible compared to costs of losing staff member
Income maximisation • Statutory Sick Pay • Employment and Support Allowance • Injury benefits (DWP and NHS) • Disability Living Allowance • Tax credits • Occupational pension – ill health benefits
Ill Health Retirement from NHS Pension • Two tier system • Unable to do own job = Tier 1 (accrued service only) • Unable to do “regular employment” = Tier 2 (enhanced by 2/3rds prospective service to NPA or 4 years) • Future employment is possible under both tiers – with some restrictions
Working again after IHR • Tier 1 – income restriction only in NHS employment • Tier 2 – all employment over NI LEL* will reduce pension to T1 level. * currently £4940 pa • Can earn up to NI LEL every year in non-NHS employment but only for 1 year in NHS. • If pension reduced to T1 – 12 months to reclaim T2 entitlement. • For all – only “unearned portion” of pension can be abated
Health, work and wellbeing • Good work is good for us • Ill health needs to be effectively managed at work • Disability does not always equate to incapacity • Employer cost benefits are real and demonstrable