The Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review into health-related economic inactivity. Sir Charlie is considering how Government can support employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities; promote healthy workplaces; and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence.
After conducting an initial discovery into the underlying issues, Sir Charlie published his early findings on 20 March which set out the key areas that he would like to explore in the next phase of the review. This publication is a call to all stakeholders to engage with the early review findings and input views via a survey launched on GOV.UK (open until midnight on Friday 30th May 2025).
This will be the primary source of evidence considered in the review and will help Sir Charlie to make recommendations that are effective, specific and proportionate. We strongly encourage businesses and other employers of all sizes, across all sectors, and from all parts of the UK, as well as stakeholder organisations and individuals with relevant lived experience, to submit evidence through this form.
The purpose of the survey is to gather insights on workplace interventions that support employers to:
1. Prevent health issues from developing or worsening at work
2. Retain employees with health conditions and disabled employees who face barriers to work, preventing them from transitioning to sickness absence
3. Rehabilitate employees who have gone on sickness absence, enabling a successful return to work
Sir Charlie is interested in the interventions that are effective in different workplaces and any barriers that businesses face in offering support. Stakeholder insight on these points will help to inform the Mayfield Review’s final report, expected to be published in Autumn 2025.
The Get Sussex Working Plan stakeholder engagement survey is now live via this link https://yourvoice.brighton-hove.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/get-sussex-working-plan or follow the QR code below:
Survey 1 - Get Sussex Working Plan Survey
The government proposes reforms to employment, health, and skills support to reduce economic inactivity and help people into work. The Get Britain Working white paper aims to lower the number of unemployed and achieve an 80% employment rate long term. The government intends for all regions to develop a Get Britain Working Plan to facilitate employment and job retention. In Sussex, the three local authorities—East Sussex, West Sussex, and Brighton and Hove—are required to formulate comprehensive plans that identify contributing issues and propose strategies and actions. The plan will set out overarching priorities for Sussex and each local authority will lead its own action plan.
Please help us shape the Sussex and Brighton and Hove plan by completing the survey https://yourvoice.brighton-hove.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/get-sussex-working-plan
Survey 2 – Employer Survey - Independent review into health-related economic inactivity.
Contribute to how the Government can support employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities; promote healthy workplaces; and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence.
The purpose of the survey is to gather insights on workplace interventions that support employers to:
1. Prevent health issues from developing or worsening at work
2. Retain employees with health conditions and disabled employees who face barriers to work, preventing them from transitioning to sickness absence
3. Rehabilitate employees who have gone on sickness absence, enabling a successful return to work
Complete the survey: Keep Britain Working Engagement Phase form (Page 1 of 7)
Both surveys close on 30th May 2025