A report by Sir Charlie Mayfield, former chairman of John Lewis, has laid bare the scale of economic inactivity in the UK, prompting Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to call for a crackdown on the benefits culture that is costing billions.
The report, titled "Keep Britain Working," found that in 2019 just over two million people of working age were economically inactive, a figure that has since grown by 700,000. Another 4.1 million have a "work-limiting condition," and the number of "fit notes" has more than doubled in a decade to over 11 million.
Alarming Trends in Employment
The current rate of people dropping out of employment each year stands at 300,000, highlighting a system that is clearly not working. Sir Charlie described the rise in fit notes as "an insidious problem," noting that absence from work erodes confidence and has a negative impact on long-term health.
He said: "If you're absent for four to six weeks, you've got a 96% chance of successfully returning to work. But that erodes very, very quickly. People just become less and less confident, and therefore their detachment from work has an insidious impact on their health, but also their long-term life."
Bosses' Concerns and Badenoch's Response
Employers have reported workers sending curt notes via email or text without specifying how long they will be off or what work needs to be picked up. Some have been warned off contacting staff who failed to show up, as it "could be interpreted as being intimidatory," leading to diminished contact and unnecessary hostility.
Kemi Badenoch has picked up on this issue with a crackdown on the benefits culture, which allows too many to avoid work without even pretending to be sick. The report's title, "Keep Britain Working," might better have been "Stop Britain Shirking," given the depressing backdrop of rising dropout rates and faked sickness.
