Sir Charlie Mayfield, former chairman of John Lewis, has raised concerns about the growing challenge of workforce detachment due to health-related absences in the UK. After investigating the issue over the past two years, Mayfield warns that prolonged time away from work significantly reduces the likelihood of employees returning, with only 3.8 percent re-entering the workforce within a year once they become economically inactive for health reasons.

Mayfield emphasises the urgency of early intervention, noting that employees absent for four to six weeks have a 96 percent chance of returning to work, but this probability diminishes rapidly as absences extend. He describes the process of separation from work as “insidious,” affecting both individuals’ health and long-term prospects. His report, titled “Keep Britain Working,” highlights a 77 percent increase in 16- to 34-year-olds reporting health conditions limiting their ability to work between 2015 and 2024, with mental health conditions accounting for nearly half of these cases.

The report argues that employment itself can aid in building mental resilience and personal development. Mayfield advocates for a proactive managerial approach, where line managers set clear expectations and offer support, fostering a sense of value and responsibility among employees. This approach, he says, can help prevent minor issues like lateness evolving into symptoms of detachment from the workplace.

Mayfield further identifies the current “fit note” system, under which general practitioners (GPs) assess if individuals should be off work, as ineffective. The number of fit notes issued has doubled from 5.3 million in 2015 to 11 million in 2025, with nearly all indicating unfitness for work. He points out that GPs often make these decisions without full knowledge of the employee’s work environment, and that patients may pressure doctors to grant fit notes due to financial concerns tied to sick pay and welfare benefits.

To address the problem, Mayfield calls for the introduction of “stay in work” or “return to work” policies within organisations. Such policies would require employees reporting sickness to communicate directly with their managers by phone, enabling a conversation to assess the situation and explore potential adjustments that could facilitate an earlier return. This might include redeployment to different roles or involvement in workplace health programmes.

Mayfield stresses that this cultural shift requires employers to create environments where employees feel safe discussing health issues without fear of job loss or repercussions. He acknowledges that UK workplaces are often cautious about contacting sick staff due to procedural risks, but argues that normalising ongoing communication about absences could significantly improve retention and reduce recruitment costs, which average £11,000 per replacement hire.

In addition to policy changes, Mayfield’s initiative involves building a confidential data-sharing network among 15 major employers to better understand absence trends and workplace health concerns. A forthcoming employee questionnaire aims to collect further insights to inform solutions.

Describing the situation as one of the UK’s most attainable opportunities for economic growth, Mayfield concludes, “We need to stop talking about this as a problem and fix it. It’s not rocket science. We need to change it. We can and we must.”