British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering tightening the regulations surrounding long-term sick leave to address the increasing number of Britons who have permanently withdrawn from the workforce.
Labor force participation among working-age Britons has hit its lowest point since 2015, primarily due to a surge in long-term illness and a growing population of students, contrasting with other large, wealthy nations where participation has risen since 2020.
In excerpts from a speech scheduled for later on Friday, Sunak expressed particular concern about the growing number of individuals not working due to mental health conditions.
"We need to be more proactive in assisting people back into the workforce and more transparent about the risk of excessive medicalization of life's everyday challenges and concerns," he stated.
Official data reveals that 9.4 million Britons aged 16 to 64—equating to 22% of that age group—are neither employed nor classified as unemployed, a figure that has increased from 8.55 million just before the pandemic. Of these individuals, 2.8 million are on long-term sick leave, and 206,000 are temporarily ill.
Last year, Britain's fiscal watchdog indicated that a quarter of those absent from work due to long-term illness were awaiting medical treatment, but reducing waiting lists to their 2015 lengths might only result in 25,000 individuals returning to work.
More than half of those on long-term sick leave reported experiencing 'depression, bad nerves, or anxiety', although many cited these as secondary conditions alongside their primary health issues.
Sunak's office highlighted that medical professionals often readily issue repeat notes approving extended sick leave, rather than offering guidance on returning to work, thereby facilitating the transition to long-term sickness benefits.
Sunak proposed exploring a shift in responsibility for assessments from general practitioners to healthcare professionals tasked with providing "an objective evaluation of an individual's work capacity and the tailored assistance they require to reenter the workforce."
"We need to not only change the approach to sick notes but also shift the culture surrounding them so that the default becomes focusing on what work individuals can do, rather than what they cannot," he emphasized.
