Fixing Britain’s worklessness crisis will cost employers £6bn a year, report says

Ministers are alarmed at the rise in the number of working-age people falling out of the workforce due to health conditions. Photograph: Sentir y Viajar/Getty Images

Employers have been told in a landmark government review that fixing Britain’s health-related worklessness crisis will require them to spend £6bn a year on support for their staff.

In a major report before this month’s budget, Charlie Mayfield warned that businesses needed to play a more central role in tackling a rising tide of ill-health that is pushing millions of people out of work.