Yesterday’s sickness absence review, conducted by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), has been welcomed by charities and the Legal & General Group.

Centre for Mental Health chief executive, Sean Duggan, says: “Mental ill-health accounts for a large proportion of sickness absence in the UK and one in four GP consultations, and remaining in work has been proven to be an important factor in recovery.”

The review proposed a state-funded independent assessment service and a job brokering service for employees on long-term sickness absence, which the authors estimate could save up to £300m a year, both of which are seen as positive steps by Duggan.

Duggan adds: “It’s worth mentioning however, that if people are signposted to appropriate forms of support while at work, very often they are able to manage their mental health condition and remain in employment without taking any time off sick in the first instance.

“Employer awareness of mental health issues at work in the UK is extremely poor but research has shown that early intervention from a supportive manager can greatly reduce the cost of mental health related sickness absence.”

Diane Buckley, managing director of Legal & General’s Group Income Protection business, says: “Employers often tell us that they need more support to help their staff when they can’t work because of illness and today’s review shows that the government is taking these issues seriously.”

Chair of the UK Rehabilitation Council (UKRC), Catherine McLoughlin, suggests that many employers already do just that, saying: “Our best employers are world-class when it comes to rehabilitation, but there aren’t enough of them.

“There are some wonderful examples of UK companies that have used rehabilitation to turn around their absence record and improve profitability, but we need more of them. We urge the government to take the lead.”

However, previous research by ComRes on behalf of Legal & General showed that GPs are largely unconvinced of the effectiveness of the fit note system, with 50% of surveyed GPs saying that the fit note system has not enhanced their ability to help people keep their job during an illness.