Government “asleep at the wheel” as long-term sickness surges

• Ill health at work, stress and depression have reached “epidemic levels” – union body warns

Commenting on figures published by the ONS today (Wednesday) which show the number of people economically inactive because of long-term sickness has risen by 400,000 since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Ministers are asleep at the wheel as ill-health and work-related stress reach epidemic levels.

“It’s time for action on what is forcing people out of the labour market.

“The government must fix the crisis in our NHS that leaves millions waiting months or even years for treatment. They must support people with long Covid and make sure every disabled worker gets the reasonable adjustments they need.

“And they must make sure every job is a good job. That means workers having stronger rights to retrain and work flexibly so that more can stay in work.”

Commenting specifically on work-related stress and depression, Paul added:

“Managers need to do far more to reduce the causes of stress and support workers struggling to cope.

“This means tackling issues like excessive workloads and workplace bullying. Toxic workplaces are bad for staff and for productivity.

“My advice to anyone experiencing stress, anxiety and depression at work is to join a union.”

TUC research published this week revealed that 1 in 2 workers feel work is become more intense and demanding, with 3 in 5 reporting feeling exhausted at the end of most working days.

The UK lost 17 million working days to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in the year 2021 to 2022 according to the latest data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).