Sick workers in the UK will be 'helped' to stay at work to boost the economy

 

• The UK, which is facing a severe labor shortage after Brexit, has marked a severe economic inactivity as well as an increase in the number of people working with the long-term condition.

The British government has asked doctors to write sick notes to fewer staff as Britain grapples with a spiral of inflation caused by the faltering productivity of the country's labor force, the Ukraine war, the Covid pandemic and other factors, according to UK daily The Telegraph. .

On 2 February, the Bank of England raised interest rates by half a point, saying that more increases would be needed if the situation continued in the future. The decision marks the 10th increase since the BoE began hiking rates in December 2021, bringing the key rate to its highest level since 2008.

A recent survey by Bloomberg also showed that three-quarters of London workers would rather quit their jobs than return to office full-time.

In times like these, the British government has been forced to ask doctors to issue fewer sick notes for employees. People now considered ill to receive sick notes will instead be "helped" to stay at work under the plans, reports The Telegraph.

British cabinet ministers including Jeremy Hunt and others have flagged the fact that there has been a significant increase in economic inactivity in the British economy – as well as an increase in the number of people working with long-term terms.

Notably, it also comes after the UK adopted a four-day working week, in which individuals were expected to work four more hours a day instead of five.

A Bloomberg Intelligence survey also showed that 73% of Londoners said they would seek alternative employment if they were asked to work on site five days a week. Four out of 10 of those employees would need at least a 16% raise to reconsider their position.

Britain is also facing a severe labor shortage. The Bank of England's August 2022 monetary policy report stated that labor demand was now above pre-pandemic levels, but labor supply was still below pre-pandemic levels.

Official figures in the labor force survey show 2.32 million people with long-term health conditions were signed up last summer in 2019, up from 1.95 million before the pandemic.

Experts have suggested that the sudden labor shortage has been prompted by Brexit, which has curtailed the free movement of individuals, while the British government scrambles to fill the growing void.