DISPARITIES IN SUPPORT Our findings reveal that low-income workers – those earning less than £25,000 a year – are consistently less likely to benefit from workplace policies that support health, than middle- and higher-income workers. Many report they do not have access to workplace health adjustments, occupational health services and enhanced sick leave payments. They are also less likely to feel their employer is supportive of their health, with just half of low-income workers (51%) believing their employer would make adjustments if they developed a long-term health condition. Even fewer (47%) feel their employer takes their mental and physical health seriously. A DIFFICULT START The picture is no brighter for young workers. Those aged 16 to 24 are 1.5 times more likely to report poor mental health than any other age group. They are also the age group most likely to expect their health to deteriorate in the next year or say their job negatively impacts their mental wellbeing (43%). The findings are particularly important given the long-term implications of poor early experiences of work. If young workers are beginning their careers in roles that damage their health, this can have lasting effects on their career prospects, earning potential, and engagement with the labour market over time. ADDRESSING THE DIVIDE The implications of our findings extend far beyond the individuals affected. Workers leaving the labour market due to health reasons pose a challenge to the government’s plans for growth and risk placing additional strain on welfare and healthcare systems. The UK Government has recognised the need to stem the flow of people leaving the labour market due to ill health. Its appointment of Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead a ‘Keep Britain Working Review’ is an acknowledgement of the role government and employers can play in tackling health-based economic inactivity and promoting healthy and inclusive workplaces. To achieve this objective there must be a recognition that workplace support for people in poor health needs to be strengthened through comprehensive occupational health provision, improved sick pay and leave policies, and greater access to the core elements of good-quality work, such as flexibility. Job quality for low-income workers must be improved by enhancing their access to employment rights, protections, and wider health support in the workplace. Substantial additional support is needed for young people at the start of their careers, including better access to NHS mental health services, tailored employment programmes for those currently out of work, and a job guarantee to ensure all young people can access secure, good-quality employment. This agenda is not just a social imperative but an economic one. A workforce riven by health and income inequality threatens productivity and national prosperity. The message is clear: workers’ experiences must be at the centre of reform efforts. Only by addressing the structural factors that undermine health at work can the UK hope to reduce economic inactivity and build a labour market fit for the future. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 17 George Williams is a Research and Policy Analyst for the Work Foundation. The A Divided Workforce? Worker Views on Health and Employment in 2025 report was launched at the inaugural Work and Health Summit in London. More than100 participants from business, policy and civil society attended. Key speakers included Sir Charlie Mayfield, Rt Hon Alan Milburn (Chancellor, Lancaster University), Professor Stavroula Leka, Rt Hon Chloe Smith (former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) and Dame Clare Moriarty (Chief Executive, Citizens Advice). george.williams@lancaster.ac.uk
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