Greater ambition needed to improve wellbeing, reduce economic inactivity, and expand opportunities for young people, says CIPD

CIPD attends significant roundtable event with Government and business leaders

The CIPD has taken part in an important roundtable with the UK’s Secretary of State Liz Kendall, to mark the publication of the latest phase of the Keep Britain Working Review.  

Also in attendance were business bodies BITC and UK Hospitality, senior leaders from household employers, such as Aviva and Five Guys, and Sir Charlie Mayfield who headed up the independent Keep Britain Working Review.

The review examined the role of the employer in supporting people with long-term health conditions and disabilities to stay in work and get into work, and the benefits this brings to businesses and the wider economy. 

The roundtable, held on 20 March 2025, discussed findings from the discovery phase of the review and plans for the coming months. It was also a chance for business bodies and employers to talk about good practice to support those with disabilities and long-term health conditions in their workforces.  

Our Director of Profession, David D’Souza, attended the roundtable and highlighted the important role of the people profession and employers in creating clear pathways to help people stay in work, including: 

• Improving access to HR and occupational health for SMEs 
• The importance to wellbeing of skills development and the chance to progress at work. 
• Prevention is better than cure – it’s vital that employers understand the factors behind economic inactivity and help their people to re-enter the workforce when they are ready, backed up by supportive measures, such as mentoring.  

Better training and employment opportunities for young people can support efforts to improve their mental health and wellbeing 

In response to the publication of the Keep Britain Working Review discovery phase, we’re urging the Government to have more ambition to tackle health-related inactivity and create more opportunities for young people to be supported into sustainable employment. In particular: 

• Expanding the Youth Guarantee to provide a guaranteed apprenticeship place for young people aged 16-24. Better training and employment opportunities for young people can also support efforts to improve their mental health and wellbeing.  
• Improving the provision of HR and occupational health support to SMEs to keep people healthy and in work. 
• Working with employers and the Health and Safety Executive to tackle work-related stress, which is linked to mental health conditions. 
• Providing flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments to support those with a disability or a long-term health condition. 

We’ve also highlighted to policymakers that it’s important that the Government continues to consult with employers as details on some of the key measures in the Employment Rights Bill are finalised, to ensure they don’t have the effect of deterring employers from hiring candidates with health conditions or more development needs.