Sir Charlie Mayfield urges sick employees to call bosses regularly

Sir Charlie Mayfield, the government‑appointed back‑to‑work adviser who chairs the Keep Britain Working taskforce, told the BBC’s Today programme on Wednesday that employees who are off sick should keep in phone contact with their bosses, rather than relying solely on emails and sick notes. Mayfield said a simple call can help prevent long‑term absence and keep people in work.

He made the appeal as his latest report warned that health‑related economic inactivity costs Britain about £210 billion a year in benefit payments and lost output. The report says the country is doing a “poor job” of handling sickness in the workplace, leading many workers to become disengaged and eventually drop out of the labour force. Around 300,000 people leave work each year because of health conditions that could be prevented with better support.

Mayfield said fear on both sides – employees worried about offending managers, and managers afraid of complaints – creates distance and prolongs absence. He stressed that a phone call is only “one piece of the jigsaw” but a vital one. The taskforce recommends a Workplace Health System that works alongside the NHS, offering access to physiotherapy, talking therapies and other treatments. It also calls for more external support for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, and for managers to actively manage sickness rather than let it fester.

If communication improves, Mayfield believes Britain could add billions to the economy and protect livelihoods. He urged employers to make regular contact with ill staff and to provide practical health support. For employees, the message is clear: pick up the phone, keep the dialogue open, and help the system work for you. The next step is for companies to embed these practices and for the government to back a coordinated health‑at‑work strategy.