Support with employee health and disability

A new UK-wide digital service called Support with Employee Health and Disability is being developed and tested, supported by business groups including the CBI. This service provides essential information about supporting employees with disabilities or health conditions at work, in a user-friendly format. 

What is the service?

The Government has been building and testing a new online service for employers which provides advice and guidance on managing health and disability in the workplace.

This is a response to the government’s 2019 consultation Health is everyone’s business where employers asked for better joined-up advice that is easier to find and act upon.

The service explains your legal obligations and good practice. The current version of the service includes topics to support employers carry out activity around:

• Managing absences and keeping in touch with their employee
• Having effective conversations with their employee about health
• Deciding on any changes which could help an employee stay in work or return to work following a period of absence

This may be particularly helpful for smaller businesses without in-house HR support or access to an occupational health service.

Your feedback can shape the support available to employers

Businesses, disabled people and business and disability organisations, including the CBI have helped shape the early version of the service that is now available to all employers.

The final design will be developed this year in response to feedback on this version from employers and expert groups.

You and your colleagues’ views will help ensure business and employee needs are met.

You can go to the test site Support with Employee Health and Disability now and use the service as well as provide invaluable feedback in the final stages of development.

Please contact Lydia (Senior policy advisor) for more information or with wider feedback.