Manufacturers call for tax breaks for occupational health

摘要

EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, is calling for tax breaks to help firms tackle 'the UK's chronic sickness absence problem'. The call was made on the back of an annual sickness absence survey carried out by EEF, which found that long-term sickness absence is continuing to increase in many firms in the manufacturing sector. Back problems and musculoskeletal disorders remains the main cause of long-term absence followed by medical tests, investigations and surgery. Forty per cent of manufacturers surveyed said the NHS was not meeting their needs to get employees back to work as soon as possible, with 45% of employers reporting that the 'fit note' is failing to get employees back to work quickly.