Sickness struggles | Could staff health checks help curb the UK's labour shortages?

The Government is considering introducing cheaper annual health checks for workers to combat labour shortages caused by staff sickness.

The proposal is one of several that could be unveiled by Jeremy Hunt at the upcoming Spring budget, amid concerns that a Brexit and Covid-fuelled worker shortage is holding back the economy.

The plans, which were first reported by the Sunday Times, could involve giving companies subsidies of up to 80% for occupational health services to prevent workers going off long-term sick.

Offering his preview of the Spring budget, Barret Kupelian, senior economist at PwC said there was: “a growing awareness of the extent to which the UK’s high figures of economic inactivity are linked to ill health of the workforce”.