Shouldn’t We Already Be Doing This?
Plans for Britain’s first Workplace Health System were published in September. Employers already have a duty to protect employee health, so what is changing, and could it be an opportunity to rethink how we approach workplace wellbeing?
When I first read about plans for Britain’s first Workplace Health System, my immediate thought was, aren’t employers supposed to be doing this already?
Employers already have a duty to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees. Many have occupational health services, risk assessments, mental health training, employee assistance programmes and wellbeing initiatives in place. So why do we need another system? I think the answer tells us something about how workplace health has been approached for years.
What is the Workplace Health System?
On 23 September 2026, Sir Charlie Mayfield, co-chair of the government-backed Keep Britain Working programme, published an update setting out plans for Britain’s first Workplace Health System. It aims to bring employers, occupational health providers and public services together, so people with health conditions or disabilities get support earlier, stay in work and return successfully after absence.
The scale is significant. Around 300,000 people with a health condition leave employment each year, often taking their experience and skills with them. Since 2019, the number of working-age people economically inactive because of ill health has risen by 800,000.
It helps to be clear on what the system isn’t. It isn’t a replacement for the NHS, which remains responsible for healthcare and treatment. And it isn’t an established service employers are now required to use. Approaches are being tested through 11 regional “Vanguards”, and the government has committed to developing a voluntary workplace health standard by 2029. Much is still being shaped.
Don’t employers already have these responsibilities?
Yes, they do. Under health and safety law, employers must assess and manage risks to employees’ health, including work-related stress. Under the Equality Act 2010, they must make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees.
What the proposals recognise is that having responsibilities doesn’t always mean having the knowledge, resources or systems to meet them. Some organisations have established occupational health services and clear processes. Others, particularly smaller employers, have limited access to specialist advice and rely on individual managers to notice when someone needs help.
Even where support exists, employees may not know what’s available, feel comfortable asking for it, or receive it early enough. So the question isn’t whether employers are responsible for supporting employee health. It’s whether the support available is coordinated, accessible and arriving at the right time.
Are we still waiting until people become unwell?
Much of the discussion focuses on employees who already have health conditions, and that support is essential. Someone managing a long-term condition may need adjustments, occupational health advice or changes to how they work. But what about the conditions that contribute to people becoming unwell in the first place?
Consider an employee whose workload keeps growing. They regularly work beyond their contracted hours, struggle to switch off, and begin experiencing poor sleep, headaches and difficulty concentrating. Eventually, they take time off. Their employer offers the employee assistance programme, an occupational health referral or stress management support.
These may all be appropriate responses. But could the workload have been reviewed earlier? Did the employee have a way to raise concerns? Did their manager recognise the warning signs? These questions look not only at how we support people experiencing difficulties, but at how work itself may be affecting their health.
Wellbeing activities have a place, and a purpose
Health checks, chair massage, mindfulness sessions and mental health workshops are familiar parts of workplace wellbeing programmes, and each has value. A health check may flag a concern someone hadn’t recognised. A mindfulness session may give people practical techniques for managing stress. A workshop may give managers the confidence to support their teams.
There is, though, a difference between helping employees manage their wellbeing and addressing the conditions affecting it. If stress comes from excessive workloads, a relaxation session can offer temporary relief, but it won’t resolve the workload. If discomfort comes from unsuitable equipment, a massage can help someone feel better, but the equipment still needs attention.
That doesn’t make wellbeing activities unnecessary. It means being clear about what we’re asking each one to achieve. Sometimes the right response is an activity or training programme. Sometimes it’s reviewing workloads, management practices or working arrangements. And sometimes it’s specialist occupational health or clinical support.
Prevention and support work together
Prevention and employee support are often treated as separate conversations, but they’re closely linked. If employees report rising stress, there are two areas to examine, what support people need now, and what may be causing the stress, such as workloads, unclear responsibilities, insufficient resources or how work is organised.
Addressing only one side may leave important needs unmet. Equally, better working conditions won’t remove the need for individual support, because employees have different health needs and personal circumstances.
This is consistent with the Health and Safety Executive’s Management Standards for work-related stress, which ask employers to consider six areas: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change.
Asking better questions before new initiatives
Many organisations plan wellbeing around awareness days, employee requests or an annual calendar. That can encourage participation and open up conversations about health. But a different starting point might be:
• What do we know about the health and wellbeing needs of our workforce?
• Could aspects of the working environment be contributing to physical or psychological difficulties?
• What are employees telling us about their experience of work?
• Are managers equipped to recognise concerns and respond appropriately?
• What support do we already provide, and how do we know whether it’s helping?
These questions don’t necessarily lead to a new programme. They may show where existing support could work better, highlight concerns that haven’t been considered, and help employers decide where to invest their time and budget.
Where do we go from here?
It’s too early to say how the Workplace Health System will work nationally. Much will depend on how the standards are developed, how services are funded and whether smaller employers can access the support they need. If it delivers practical help for employers and employees, it will be a welcome development.
It also draws attention to something employers can act on now. A calendar full of wellbeing activities doesn’t automatically mean an effective approach to workplace health. Having an occupational health provider doesn’t automatically mean employees receive support at the right time. Both have a role, and their effectiveness depends on how they’re used.
At Every Wellbeing, prevention has always been at the heart of how we support employees, so it’s encouraging to see the government giving it more weight. In practice, that means starting with what employees need. Sometimes that’s wellbeing activities, training or health awareness. Sometimes it’s looking more closely at workplace practices and where improvements could be made.
Perhaps that’s the conversation we should have been having all along.
References
• GOV.UK (2026) New plan for Britain’s first Workplace Health System, 23 September 2026.
• HR Grapevine (2026) New workplace health system aims to stop 300,000 people leaving work each year, 28 September 2026.
• Health & Protection (2026) Government commits to creating certified workplace health standard by 2029.
• Health and Safety Executive. Management Standards for work-related stress.