A NEW government scheme to tackle workplace sickness is “like emptying the ocean with a teaspoon”, one expert has warned, while others said it is the latest example of government spin and a fundamental delusion surrounding what the economy needs.
Thousands of people at risk of dropping out of work will be given more support to stay in their jobs thanks to new Government-funded occupational health training for 5,000 line managers working in small businesses, the Government has announced this morning.
The free training funded by the Department for Work and Pensions comes as part of the Government’s drive to tackle workplace sickness and will be made available to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) across England between January and March of next year, helping them to better support staff and identify health-related issues early.
The Government claims it will help tackle the inherited issue of more than 2.8 million people signed off long-term sick – one of the highest rates in the G7 – while the Keep Britain Working Review found 800,000 more working-age adults are out of work due to sickness than in 2019.
The cost of ill-health to small businesses is stark, as replacing an employee lost to ill-health costs over £11,000, while every sickness absence day costs businesses around £120 in lost profit.
The free training — led by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) — will give line managers the practical skills they need to recognise early signs that someone they’re managing needs help, so they can have supportive conversations about health and workplace adjustments.
Persistent fatigue, behaviour changes and increased absence will be some of the signs managers will be trained to spot and step in early to support people, so they have better ways forward to continue in work.
Minister for Employment, Dame Diana Johnson, said: “Too often, small businesses lose skilled staff to health issues without the tools to support them – and that doesn’t help anyone. This free training changes that.
“It gives line managers the confidence to have the right conversations and make the adjustments that could help keep people in work. When small businesses support their staff to stay at work healthy, everyone wins – employees, businesses and our economy.”
Like emptying the ocean with a teaspoon
Rohit Parmar-Mistry, Founder at Burton-on-Trent-based Pattrn Data, said the scheme does not go far enough.
He added: “Let’s be honest: training 5,000 managers to tackle 2.8 million long-term sick is like emptying the ocean with a teaspoon. The maths simply doesn’t stack up. This feels like ‘outsourcing the problem’ to already overworked SME managers, asking them to act as amateur therapists while drowning in operational chaos.
“Crucially, this scheme does absolutely nothing to resolve the underlying long-term health issues actually keeping people out of work.
“A manager can be trained to spot fatigue, but they can’t treat chronic illness, fix crumbling public healthcare infrastructure or reduce waiting lists. In my field, I see leaders constantly applying sticking plasters to broken systems.
“This is no different. If the work environment causes burnout, or the external support systems aren’t there, spotting the problem early just means watching the crash happen sooner.
“We need systemic investment in health and sustainable working practices, not just a PowerPoint presentation on how to spot a crisis.”
Training doesn’t solve the real pain points
Kate Underwood, Founder at Southampton-based Kate Underwood HR and Training, said many managers don’t know how to react.
She continued: “Ministers can train managers all they like, but sick pay and reasonable adjustments are where small businesses actually bleed. Teaching line managers to spot early signs and have proper, human conversations is a win. Most SMEs don’t lose people because they don’t care – they lose them because managers panic, avoid it or act too late.
“But let’s not kid ourselves: training doesn’t solve the real pain points. The cost of absence, the time to manage it, and getting quick occupational health advice are what sink small teams. And on reasonable adjustments, here’s the legal reality: you don’t get to wait for a scheme to rescue you.
“Access to Work isn’t a six-month new starter perk, but it is employee-led, so you can’t apply for them. You can, however, signpost it fast and support the application. In the meantime, if an adjustment is reasonable, you do it.”
Kinder conversations
Sarah Gatford at Derby-based Sarah Gatford Ltd, said the training needs to go beyond spotting symptoms.
She added: “The key word here is conversations. Not policies, not procedures. Human connection where someone feels valued, not processed. From a positive psychology perspective, well-being at work isn’t about the absence of illness. It’s about belonging, autonomy and competence, elements humans need to thrive.
“When managers spot early warning signs and respond with curiosity rather than judgement, they create psychological safety. This scheme could work if IOSH’s training goes beyond spotting symptoms to building genuine conversational skills. 5,000 managers across England’s entire SME sector feels like a drop in the ocean. .
“However, numbers don’t capture the relief someone feels when their manager asks, ‘How can I help?’ rather than ‘When will you be back?’ That shift from transactional to relational changes everything.
“If this helps managers have braver, kinder conversations, it’s a start. The real test is whether businesses see this as compliance or connection.”
Another initiative from a deluded government
Riz Malik, Director at Southend-on-Sea-based R3 Wealth, said the initiative did not make sense.
He continued: “It’s fantastic the government has launched an initiative that probably isn’t on the Top 100 list of things SMEs would like from the government going into 2026. Another initiative from a deluded government who have no idea about the concerns of many SMEs.”
Scott Gallacher, Director at Leicester-based Rowley Turton, said the reality is far worse than the government is saying.
He added: “The offer of free training for small businesses is welcome, but the scale is nowhere near adequate. Funding just 5,000 line managers ignores the reality that 79% of SMEs provide no such training, across some 5.7 million UK businesses.
“With 2.8 million people now long-term sick — an increase of 800,000 since 2019 — the £800,000 funding equates to roughly 29p per absentee. That suggests this initiative is little more than spin — politics rather than policy.”
Photo by Monika Borys on Unsplash
