Keep Britain Working: What the £85bn sickness crisis means for employers - and how to respond
The government’s Keep Britain Working review has revealed an £85 billion sickness crisis affecting UK employers. This article explores what the findings mean for businesses and how PG Protect’s affordable, employee-paid insurance can help strengthen workforce wellbeing, reduce absence and protect productivity.
Bojan AmbrusThursday 6 November 2025
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The cost of poor health at work is soaring
The latest Keep Britain Working review, led by former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield, has revealed a stark truth: the UK’s sickness crisis is costing employers £85 billion a year.
With sickness absence at a 15-year high, and 800,000 more people now out of work due to health conditions than before the pandemic, the impact on businesses is impossible to ignore.
Employers face rising costs from lost productivity, sick pay, and staff turnover, while the wider economy loses billions more in output and welfare costs. As the report warns - without intervention, another 600,000 people could leave work for health reasons by the end of the decade.
A shared responsibility for workforce health
The review calls for a new approach to keeping people in work - one that views health as a shared responsibility between employers, employees, and health services.
For employers, that means investing in proactive measures that prevent financial stress and improve resilience – protecting people who work, even when illness or injury strikes.
Speaking to the BBC, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the report was a...
Pat McFadden, Work and Pensions Secretarywin-win for employees and employers because it's aimed at keeping people with sickness issues or developing disability issues in work
How PG Protect helps keep Britain working
That’s where PG Protect comes in.
At Personal Group, we’ve seen first-hand how financial protection can make a tangible difference to employees and employers alike.
Our employee-paid insurance provides affordable financial protection for workers - giving them peace of mind and support when they need it most.
A great example of this in action is our partnership with Royal Mail Group, one of the UK’s most recognisable institutions.
With over 130,000 employees across 1,200 delivery offices, Royal Mail understands that supporting staff through life’s challenges is essential to keeping operations running smoothly. Since partnering with Personal Group, uptake of our insurance plans has grown significantly - with 18% of eligible employees now holding a policy.
Mr P, Royal Mail EmployeeI would thoroughly recommend Personal Group as a hospital cash plan provider, I couldn’t think of anyone better, their customer care is second to none.
Our Employee Engagement Executives regularly visit every Royal Mail site to deliver face-to-face presentations and ensure employees understand the protection available to them. In 2024 alone, the team conducted 47,000+ visits, resulting in a 23% increase in enrolments.
This partnership illustrates the power of financial wellbeing in action - employees feel supported, morale improves, and it can help organisations benefit from a healthier, more engaged workforce.
That’s what PG Protect is all about: helping employers protect their people and productivity through providing access to affordable, employee-paid insurance.
PG Protect turns the government’s call for “better workplace health provision” into practical action.
By helping employees stay financially secure during sickness or injury, employers can:
- Reduce stress-related absence
- Boost morale and retention
- Support wellbeing without added business cost
Time to take action
Every business feels the pressure of rising sickness costs - but with the right protection in place, you can help to strengthen your workforce and your bottom line.
Protect your people. Protect your productivity.