Expert view: An ageing population and rise in major health conditions will challenge employers
The UK has not only an ageing workforce but also an unwell one. By the Health Foundation’s estimate, 9.1 million people in England will be living with a major health condition by 2040. This is already having significant implications for the current workforce, with 2.74 million people economically inactive owing to ill health, according to the Office for National Statistics. This should cause alarm bells for employers.
To retain older workers with health conditions in the workforce and adequately support them, employers must move beyond supplementary health and workplace policies, and consider issues like contractual security and comprehensive job design from recruitment to exit.
Decent pay
While more than half of organisations have a wellbeing strategy, decent pay and contractual security are often overlooked by employers when responding to health and wellbeing needs at work. This is particularly worrying as The Work Foundation’s research, The UK Insecure Work Index 2024, found 6.8 million workers in severely insecure jobs in the UK.
These are low-paid, temporary and precarious jobs. Since our last report in 2022, this has risen by 600,000 people, owing to a gradual return to a pre-Covid 19 labour market, with the rates of employment and unemployment stabilising, and people moving back into insecure jobs. Unless substantive action is taken, the number of people in low-paid and insecure work is likely to continue to rise and more workers will remain caught in the cost-of-living squeeze.
Health toll
Approximately one in three workers in such positions fear losing their jobs within the next 12 months, and chronic job insecurity, as we know, can take a heavy toll on individuals’ health and wellbeing over time. Therefore, when designing a health and wellbeing policy, organisations should consider how they can improve the predictability and security of jobs they offer.
Flexible working hours, good pay and the option to work from home are primary factors in retaining older workers. Employers should also consider how to financially support their employees and use occupational health for comprehensive rehabilitation. Managers should be equipped to maintain communication and support employees who are on sick leave to ensure they can come back if they want to.
While many employers recognise the importance of investing in health and wellbeing policies, support often varies by sector and organisation size. Addressing the health and wellbeing needs of an ageing workforce requires support beyond standard policies.
