Work and health policy forum

Work and health policy forum

There is a strong focus on work and health in the year ahead as the UK Government focuses even more on reforming the benefits system to get more disabled people into and staying in work. Business Disability Forum’s research has also highlighted an urgent need to understand where current workplace health and adjustments provisions need to be offered as one holistic ‘offer’ or ‘team’ within an organisation, plus a need to redefine how employers think about absences and readiness to return to work afterwards.

This forum meets sporadically ‘as and when’ needed via online discussion groups, one-to-one depth conversations, and giving views via polls and surveys. Between March and July 2025, this forum will meet monthly.

This forum focusses on the following topics:

• The impact of occupational and workplace health on health and disabilility inclusion at work.
• Healthy sickness absences, fit notes, and returning to work.
• Workplace adjustments and job redesign.
• Use of employee assistance services and wellbeing services.
• Use private medical and group risk insurance products.
• What health means to different employees – disabled people, carers, parents – and during major life events, such as relationship changes, financial difficulties, and loss.
• The UK Government’s health, benefits, and employment related announcements and consultations during Winter 2024 and Spring 2025. This includes the development of the Employment Rights Bill, the ‘Get Britain Working’ policy paper, and the ‘Keep Britain Working’ employer review.

This group will also inform BDF’s project exploring the ideal single and holistic workplace health and adjustments offer that line managers told us about in The Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey.

Who this forum is for

This forum is for anyone involved managing employees and advising managers on employee health, adjustments and absences in organisations. The group consists of managers and advisers working in diversity and inclusion, adjustments, occupational health, health and safety, and workplace wellbeing teams.

Partner and Member organisations only.

How to join

Please contact your BDF Business Partner who will sign you up. For further questions, you can contact policy@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk