James Purnell, What has caused the rise in sickies-sick days? Is it another sign of a broken society- a signal we are unhappy, overworked and feel no loyalty to our leaders? What do you plan to do about the deeper causes?
Asked by evenhand on Aug 06 2008 1:01:11 AM and supported by 32 members
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You’re right that we need to take action on getting people back into work when they have been off sick. The evidence shows us that work can have real benefits to a person’s health and that if you are off sick your recuperation can speed up the earlier you come back to work. For that reason one of the proposals we’ve set out in our welfare reform programme is to concentrate more on using work to help people get back to health and fitness. In autumn of this year we will be consulting on replacing the sicknote with something which helps rather than hinders someone going back to work, with the aim of introducing the new form next year.