'Exacerbating the issue' | HR is making UK's sick-leave crisis worse, says 'Keep Britain Working' author

The Government’s leading employment reviewer has issued a harsh take on HR teams, telling MPs that their approach to sickness absence is actively worsening the country’s worklessness crisis.

Appearing before the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee, Sir Charlie Mayfield said workplace practices around sickness, stress and health conversations were “exacerbating” the problem of people falling out of work due to ill health -  remarks likely to land uncomfortably with the very HR leaders now being handed greater responsibility under Labour’s employment reforms.

Mayfield accuses HR of creating ‘distance’

Sir Charlie, who led a major review into economic inactivity last year, argued that HR guidance was often discouraging early, human contact with staff signed off sick, particularly for stress-related conditions.

When an employee is absent, he told MPs, “it would be quite common for HR people within organisations to say, ‘For goodness sake, do not call that person when they are off sick because what you don’t want to do is make the situation worse’.”