Long-term conditions at work: Wellness Action Plans explained
People currently live with a number of chronic, long-term conditions.
In this article, we aim to raise awareness of other long-term conditions and that people living with them need support to thrive — both personally as well as professionally.
What is a long-term condition?
When a condition is chronic, it means it can only ever be managed with medication and/or treatment, never cured. There may also be flareups of symptoms, causing the employee’s overall health to fluctuate.
How many people live with long-term health issues?
Almost half (47.9%) of people aged 16+ in the UK have at least one longstanding illness or health problem.
In men, the top five most common long-term conditions were:
- allergies
- high blood pressure
- low back pain or another chronic back defect
- high blood lipids (high cholesterol)
- depression.
For women, the top five conditions were:
- allergies
- high blood pressure
- depression
- low back pain or another chronic back defect
- asthma.
Other examples of chronic conditions include epilepsy, mental health problems other than depression, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and more.
Long-term conditions in the workplace
In Q1 2024, 10.3 million people in the UK working population aged 16-64 lived with a disability according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Of these 10.3 million people, more than 5.9 million were economically active and therefore able to work despite their condition(s).
Given there were just under 33 million economically active population in the UK aged 16-64 in Q1 2024, the 5.9 million economically active people with disabilities account for almost 18% of everyone who is either employed or currently seeking a job.
Given almost a fifth of the workforce living with some form of disability, it’s vital that employers know how to best support these employees. This is especially true given the nature of long-term conditions, which can involve overlapping issues relating to physical, emotional and cognitive health. As such, it can be difficult for employers to unpick the specific needs of their employees with long-term conditions.
What is a Wellness Action Plan?
Employers and employees can collaborate on a Wellness Action Plan where there are ongoing health issues or a recurrence of symptoms is likely.
These facilitate open dialogue between employers and employees with long-term conditions to ensure employees are fully supported in their role and employers are making all necessary reasonable adjustments so employees can continue thriving at work.
The Wellness Action Plan encourages regular reviews with employers and employees to ensure it stays fit for purpose. Unum provides blank Wellness Action Plans to our Group Income Protection (GIP) customers, which offer helpful guidance and suggestions for you and employees who might benefit from one to fill in together.
The Wellness Action Plan includes
The 'Wellness Continuum'
Employees can share what their condition looks like when they’re at their best, having a flare up or have become unable to work
Workplace adjustments
Lets employers know what employees living with disabilities need to support them in the workplace
Condition-related absence management
For example, how employers will manage time off for treatment/medical appointments or absences directly related to the condition
Return to work support
How employers will support a return to work after a condition-related absence where possible
Discussion points
Topics each party will discuss during their regular meetings to ensure the Wellness Action Plan still works for all.
We offer Wellness Action Plans alongside our absence management support. This covers all stages of employee absence — including preventative measures.
For instance, our absence management team supports employees covered by our GIP who are currently working but struggling with reasonable adjustments to help them stay well and in work. It can also provide assistance during sickness absences with practical support and plans to support employees to return to work where possible.
How can a Wellness Action Plan help?
In Q1 2024, 2.8 million workers in the UK aged 16-64 were economically inactive because of long-term sickness. That’s almost 7% of the total population aged 16-64.
Yet the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) finds long-term sickness absence (4 weeks or more) harmful to physical, mental and financial wellbeing, as well as social inclusion. Long-term sickness can have terrible costs to individuals beyond loss of income.
It’s never beneficial for someone with a disability to feel forced to work. This pressure whilst feeling too unwell to work can actually be harmful and make a long-term condition worse. We do not advocate this at all.
Unum is proud to provide financial security in paid claims to insured employees worth an average £9.1 million per week, including to those who cannot work through long-term conditions.
Instead, a Wellness Action Plan is about ensuring people with long-term conditions who do feel able to work and want to work are empowered to do so. It ensures they have what they need from their employer to remain well and in their jobs. It can also facilitate vital employer-employee dialogue about how employers can reduce triggers for flare ups of conditions, reducing the risk of people becoming too unwell to work.
Given NICE finds long-term sickness absence detrimental to physical, mental and financial wellbeing, taking appropriate steps to avoid it where possible are crucial to support employees living and working with disabilities when they need it the most.